Time's Scars
by Quisty878
Summary: COMPLETE A Lord of the Rings and Final Fantasy VIII crossover. An evil wizard returns from long ago, threatening to revive the ring. Can Squall and the gang stop him in time? Chapter 24 up! Review please!
1. Prologue: The Survivor

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its ideas, etc. I also do not own Lord of the Rings or any of its ideas, etc.

But the idea is mine!

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Time's Scars'

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Prolouge: The Survivor

Roused from a peaceful night's sleep by strange sounds in the night, the little boy sat up. His eyes moved toward the window. The sight that he saw was not like any he'd ever seen.

The entire village, in flames. An army of people walking around with torches and axes, and the blood of tens of thousands of Elves staining the streets.

Horrified, he jumped out of bed to awaken his older sister, only to find that she was not there. 

He ran down the hall, to his parent's room. On the way, he saw the light of the torches dancing along the walls of his home.

They were getting closer.

In a panic, he ran to his parent's room. There, he found them with his older sister, looking just as terrified as he was.

"Mommy? What's happening?" He choked

The mother turned around and walked over to the young boy, picking him up. "You have to leave, sweetie. You and your sister have to leave."

"No!" The child cried, tears forming in his eyes. "What about you and daddy?"

"We have to stay here."

"Please, mommy. Please."

She put him down, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry. You have to go now."

His older sister came and took his hand. He always felt safe with her before, but the idea of leaving his parents was unbearable. He pulled from her grasp. "No! I want to stay here!"

The mother kneeled down, putting her hands on his shoulders. "You have to, for us. You have to go. For everyone."

Tears poured down the little boy's face. "No…I love you, mommy! I'm sorry!"

"You have to go." She repeated. 

She put her hand into the boy's pajama pocket, putting something inside. The boy reached to see what it was, but the woman stopped him. "No. You don't have time."

A bang on the doors confirmed his fears. They had come.

Exchanging kisses, the boy and his sister ran down the hall, leaving their parents. The girl opened a window, and lifted the boy onto it.

"Go. You'll be fine." She commanded.

"What about you? Aren't you coming?"

"No. They know there is at least one child in here. If I go, they'll know we escaped, and they'll look for us."

"Here." She said as she placed coverings on his ears, "This way they won't be able to tell who you are. Go. You have to. I'm sorry"

With that, she pushed the little boy out of the window. 

He landed the two-story fall with ease, and ran to hide in a tree nearby.

As he sat in the branches, he witnessed the horror that faced his family. He heard his mother and father's cries of pain and his sister's pleas. Then he watched, frozen with fear, as their house was burned to the ground.

Pulling himself from the fear, he jumped out of the tree and ran as fast as he could away from the home. Once he arrived at a nearby forest, he collapsed to his knees, sobbing.

They were all dead. Slaughtered like animals. Why? What had they ever done to the humans? They'd only helped in the war. Why were they doing this?

He knew well that his family was gone. Even at the age of four, the young Elf was no fool.

He reached into his pocket, remembering that his mom had given him something just an hour before.

A necklace, with their family sign on it. The Griever.


	2. Enemy Territory

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Time's Scars

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Chapter One: Enemy Territory

Squall ran his fingers through his hair. Alone, on his own for thirteen years now. He yawned, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes that the mirror made so easy to see.

Looking over at his small dormitory bed, he couldn't help but smile. Laying there was Rinoa, the love of his life. 

He didn't know exactly how she'd won him over in those short few months they'd been fighting sorceresses. All he knew was that she was different. Unlike the others, she was the only human he didn't hate. That burning, seething rage he had was not present around her.

Maybe it was because she knew how hard it was to be different. She knew what it was like to be hated by everyone, to be a fugitive because of something she had no control over. Not unlike him. Squall knew how scary the world was when everyone around you hated what you were.

Except that nobody knew what he was.

Everyone assumed that his loner attitude was because of Ellone leaving him. That, of course, was not even close to the truth. His fear was being discovered. Ellone had tried to get close to Squall on many occasions. She wouldn't leave him alone. The others all assumed he was hogging her. In truth, she was hogging him.

Rinoa began to stir, and Squall quickly adjusted the rubberlike bits that covered the tops of his ears, rounding them out to mask the trademark point of an Elf ear. Of course, he'd had to get new ones as he grew, so the points would remain disguised, but he'd been able to. 

She sat up in bed and yawned, "Morning."

He looked at her, "Yeah. Sleep well?"

She nodded, stretching her arms out. "You?"

"Yeah," he lied. He never slept well. His dreams were plagued with painful memories.

She got up and walked over to him, using the mirror as well. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long."

She smiled at him. "Thanks for letting me stay again last night. I just get scared sometimes when I'm alone."

"No problem." What she didn't know was that he actually liked it when she came.

Rinoa could almost never sleep alone. Four months into their relationship, she'd come into his room to sleep. From then on, she practically lived with him. He didn't mind. He had comfort when he held her as they slept. Something to relieve him when he was startled awake by nightmares.

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"Hey, bout' time you two got up!" said Zell as Squall and Rinoa joined the others at their usual breakfast table.

Irvine nudged Squall, "Have an exhausting night?"

Squall looked at Irvine, and promptly pushed him out of his chair.

"Hey!" yelled Irvine, fixing his hair and getting back up. 

The rest of the table was laughing, with the exception of Squall, who had gone right back to eating.

"Man, that wasn't called for." Irvine grumbled as he sat back in his chair, trying to regain his dignity.

Selphie giggled, "You did deserve it, Irvy."

"For what? Just poking fun at the resident couple." 

Quistis also joined the group, looking tired and frustrated.

"Well, Quisty definitely had an exhaustive night." Zell joked.

Quistis shot him a death glare, and he shut up.

"Missions are just crazy right now. All these things are going on. You know, right Squall?"

"Yeah, whatever." Squall mumbled, obviously uninterested.

Rinoa looked at him, "Well, Mr. Compassion strikes again."

"What?" He responded. "I just don't give a flying rat's ass. I don't want to hear whining about work."

Rinoa sighed and put a hand to her forehead. Quistis glared at Squall, who kept his usual stoic expression.

"Meanie." Rinoa said.

Squall ignored her.

Selphie smiled and clapped her hands together. "Squally's just having a bad day, huh?"

The others chuckled at the nickname, and Squall looked at Selphie. "Shove it."

The table went silent in surprise. Squall didn't usually act like that. Sure, he was cold, but he'd been a lot better over the past eight months with Rinoa. 

"What's the matter?" Rinoa whispered.

"Nothing." He lied.

Getting up, he quickly left the table, off to the third-floor office. Rinoa got up too, and chased after him.

She caught up to him in the hallway and grabbed his wrist. "Hey. What has gotten into you?"

He stopped, sighing frustratedly. "Nothing, okay?"

"No. It isn't nothing. What is your problem?"

He looked at her. "Rinoa, I…"

"What?"

He shook his head. "Please just leave me alone for awhile, okay?"

She let go of him, and sighed. "Okay. But you know you can talk to me, okay?"

"Yeah." He replied, turning around and continuing down the hall.

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I can talk to her, yes. But not about this. What would she think? 

He knew it was the dream that was bothering him. He'd been having it every night for the past week. The memory of that childhood moment was too much, and it just made him more and more bitter at the others. They weren't his friends. They killed his family, and would kill him, too. Rinoa was the only one he could trust, but she would hate him if she knew. 

Instead of going to work, as he usually did, Squall diverted towards the parking lot. Grabbing a garden vehicle nonchalantly, he drove into Balamb City. 

He stopped outside of a bank. Once inside, he carefully made his way upstairs, towards a janitor's closet. When he was certain that nobody was around, he slipped inside.

He traced the concrete wall with his hand, and opened up a door, leading into a small chamber. Once he was inside, the familiar full-body scan by a computer commenced.

"Accepted." Blurted a computer voice.

The other side of the small chamber opened, leading him into a hidden area, bustling with activity. Only it wasn't normal. He knew these people well, he worked for them.

Squall made his way to the head official's office. The man inside was glad to see him.

"Good to have you here, Squall. You got our call."

Squall nodded. "Yes, sir. I got it. What do you need me for?"

"Well, we found a man who is digging too deep into our organization. He's finding evidence that Elves do exist. We can't be exposed yet, so I need you to eliminate the information."

It wasn't a murder mission, of course. The Elves were a peaceful people. They didn't like to hurt people, but they would if forced.

"Alright. What's his name?"

The man reached down into a folder. He pulled out a rolled up paper and handed it to Squall. "A General Caraway."

Surprise immediately hit Squall, but he didn't let it show.

"Those are the blueprints of his home. We've marked areas where information is being stored. The biggest target is the computer. Pull the hard drive and replace it with a blank one. I want you to destroy all of the information, okay?"

Squall nodded. "I will."

"I know. You're our most reliable one, Squall. Your parents would be proud."

He closed his eyes, quelling the pain that came up at the mention of his parents. "Yeah. Thanks."


	3. Unfortunate Circumstances

Author's Notes: I know this might be a little confusing right now. But I tend to like jumping right into the action and solving the puzzle as I go. This isn't linked to the whole destruction of the ring thing. That will be mentioned later on. And Elves aren't the only species from the series that I'm putting in here. It'll become clearer as I go, especially as Squall learns. He doesn't even know much.

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Time's Scars

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Chapter Two: Unpleasant Circumstances

Rinoa sat in Squall's room, arms folded. She was waiting for him to come in. Even though she thought he was on the job, she knew he stopped in his room frequently throughout the day.

Her patience paid off, as Squall returned from his downtown visit. He was startled at her presence.

"What are you doing here?"

She got up and walked closer to him. "I want to talk to you."

He shook his head, "Not now, I'm busy."

She blocked his path as he went towards his bedroom area. "I don't care. Talk to me."

"Rinoa, just stop it, okay?"

"What is your problem? You always talk to me! What is going on? What did I do? What are you hiding from me? Squall, please. This isn't okay."

"I have to go somewhere, okay?" He insisted

"So work is more important to you than I am?"

He sighed in frustration. "No. But I have to get this done now. I don't have choices."

She shook her head, "You always have to get something done! You never have time to spend with me. You even seem to go out of your way to avoid me sometimes now!"

"It isn't my fault! I can't help that this job is a busy one. I didn't get to make a decision in the matter."

"You know damn well that you could get out of it."

He folded his arms. "You don't get it, do you? I've been here forever. I can't just leave my post. It'd be a betrayal."

"It isn't like you'd be leaving Garden! Don't you even care? You don't. What about me? What if I was possessed? You obviously wouldn't go out of your way to help me, because you might betray Garden."

"That's a different case, Rinoa!"

"How? How is that different?"

He paused for a minute, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he walked to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Look, I don't want to argue like this, okay? This won't take long. I'll be back and we can talk."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

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The long train ride to Galbadia was relaxing to most people, but Squall found it almost unbearable. Too much was going through his mind, and he couldn't distract himself.

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I sure friggin' stepped in it this time. What am I going to tell her? 

Stop, just stop. I have to get my head in the game. Caraway's mansion is well guarded, I have to know what I'm doing. The agency depends on it. 

The agency was all he had to rely on. Formed by a group of renegade Elves, they tracked down and recruited all the survivors. Squall had been surprised at how many Elves got away from the massacres. 

The plan was to rise up once they had the means to do so. Rise up against the humans to regain their freedom. Luckily, they had plenty of support from the Hobbits, who'd also felt the firm hand of human rule upon them. Even some Dwarves were in on the battle, wanting to help out. Elves and Dwarves were natural enemies, but they were uniting because of the cruel treatment against them.

But why were the humans doing this? After the first sorceress war, everything seemed to change. All the Elf villages were destroyed, and the lives of Hobbits and Dwarves were put under strict confinement. They weren't allowed to leave their villages, which were heavily guarded by humans. Even their production of goods was snuffed out. They were forced to use only items made by the humans. They weren't even allowed to practice their cultural habits. It wasn't fair to anyone. Without the Elves, the Dwarves and Hobbits had little hope of escaping the rule. They weren't strong enough. Maybe that was why the Elves were massacred. They were too powerful.

The train finally arrived in Deling City, much to Squall's relief. He disembarked gladly, stretching his arms before leaving the platform. He had a mission to do.

It would be easy for him to get into the mansion, especially because of experience. Squall had done these sorts of things many times before. 

Squall slipped into the sewers from the archway in the center of the city. He carefully maneuvered through the narrow passageways until he at last arrived to the ladder that would bring him into the home. 

Lucky for him, the secret passageway wasn't loud as it opened. He quietly stepped into the home. Of course, nobody was inside. Caraway was out working as he always did. Squall knew he'd have plenty of time to go through the place. But that didn't matter. He just wanted it to get finished quickly. The sooner he was out, the better.

He snuck through the mansion, following the blueprints he'd memorized. Any and all files he found in the marked areas were taken. Most of the time, there wasn't much. But even a little evidence was too much. 

His last stop was in the part of the mansion where Caraway stored his computer. Moving quickly, Squall dismantled the laptop and carefully removed the part he was looking for, the hard drive. He replaced it with a blank, and put the machine back together, making certain that he left no evidence of his presence. He quickly scanned through the computer, making sure that there was no information that could help Caraway locate the Elves. He searched the rest of the area, snatching up a few files that looked suspicious. After he'd made sure he'd gotten everything, he quietly went back towards the secret passageway. 

But when he got into the living room, he froze. Someone was coming.

It was Caraway.

Squall quickly climbed the wall and lodged himself between the beams in the ceiling. He just had to pray that Caraway wouldn't look up.

He got lucky. The general moved quickly through the room and exited. Squall had no idea why he was in the house, but he knew he should take advantage of the opportunity to escape.

He dropped down and placed the crystal glass cup into its position, causing the passageway to open again. He slipped out, and hurried down the ladder back into the sewers, knocking it over when he got down so that nobody else could follow.

He thought he was home free, until he heard Caraway's voice yell, "Guards! We've had an intruder! Search everything, especially the sewer passageway. Bring this scumbag to me, NOW!"

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Fantastic

Squall ran down the passageways, desperately searching for a place to hide. He could hear the guards swarming into the sewers from both directions. Unfortunately, he was trapped. 

He had no choice but to jump into the murky sewer water, where the guards would be unable to see him. Beforehand, he made sure to hide the bag containing the files behind one of the water wheels. He could hold his breath for a long time, but the water was disgusting. 

He heard voices above, but he couldn't make out what was being said. He waited a few more minutes, and then slowly brought his head above the water. They were gone. He got out of the water, careful to be quiet, as the guards were still in the sewer.

He knew he'd leave footprints, and that wasn't good. To be safe, he carefully removed his wet boots and strapped them to his bag, which he'd used to take the files. That way, they wouldn't be able to identify him by footprints.

He made his way through the rest of the passageway, stopping every minute or two to make sure nobody was nearby. He reached the escape ladder, and slowly climbed it. He was about to get off the ladder and go out the door when he realized there were guards right outside. Some were waiting, others were about to enter.

Squall rushed up the ladder, to the second room with the window and the control panel. He only had one place to escape from. The window. It was small, but he knew he could make it.

He heard the guards enter below, and ran forward, smashing through the window. He landed the long fall easily, of course, as he was so light-footed. He knew the guards would be right on him, so he immediately started to run when he landed. He dove into a thick patch of bushes, and the guards ran right past him. But he knew he couldn't just go out like he was. They knew what he looked like from behind, and they obviously saw his clothing. He needed to change.

Lucky for him, he hadn't been wearing the same outfit as when he met Caraway. He was dressed in all black now, as he always was when sneaking through a house.

Squall watched from behind the bushes as a tourist walked by. He was carrying a suitcase, which Squall knew would have clothing in it. The man sat down to wait for a bus, and Squall silently pulled the suitcase into the thicket and opened it, finding a change of clothing that he knew would fit him. After stealing it, he quickly closed the suitcase and placed it right where it had been a minute earlier. The man had no idea.

Unfortunately, the clothing was way off his style. He hadn't really paid attention as he'd stolen it, because it was the only clothing in the bag. A pair of baggy khaki shorts and…a Tropical print T-shirt.

He reluctantly put on the clothes. Once he had them on, he put his wet clothing in a nearby garbage bin. He had a new outfit, but he looked like a fool. And, he smelled like the sewer water.

He put his soaked boots back on and walked to the train station. On the way, he got more than a few strange looks. A teenage boy, who reeked like the sewer and was walking around in horrible clothing with wet black boots that didn't even match the outfit.

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This is NOT a good day.

He boarded the train, handing his ticket to a more than surprised conductor, who'd never seen a SeeD soldier looking like he did. Once on board, Squall relaxed into the soft sofa of the SeeD quarters. Before he knew it, he'd fallen asleep.

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Author's notes: Hee Hee, stinky Squall with a tropical print t-shirt! Fun times! The others are going to have a blast when he comes home. And what will Rinoa think? 

Thanks for the reviews! It makes me want to write.


	4. Internal Torment

Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my story! I appreciate it.

I am thinking about putting some of the Lord of the Rings story in this later. So far, I think this will be my longest fanfic. I have lots of ideas. Thanks for reading!

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Time's Scars

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Chapter Three: Internal Torment

He ran as fast as he could through the dark forest, driven by the sounds of the angry mob chasing him. He'd been running for a long time, and they still were right on his tail. He was getting weary, and knew he couldn't run for much longer.

Finally, he collapsed in exhaustion. He was surrounded suddenly by angry humans, armed with hammers, baseball bats, and anything else they could find. He had no chance to protest. Nobody would listen.

All over his small body, he could feel the pain from the beating. It was everywhere, and was excruciating. He cried out and begged for mercy, but was ignored. 

Surely he would not make it.

Squall was awakened by the jerk of the train as it came to a stop in Balamb. He took a deep breath, attempting to stop the shaking of his body in fear. That night was still very fresh in his mind, even though it happened long ago. 

He got up, grabbed his bag, and got off the train. A conductor outside saw him.

"Hi…Mr…Leonhart?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah, yeah. Long story." Squall muttered as he shoved past the man.

He headed straight for the hotel. Not to sleep, of course, but to shower. The sewer water had left a lot of disgusting things on him.

"I need a room. I'm not staying long, but I'll pay you for a night." Squall told the woman at the counter.

She shook her head in shock. "Uh…don't worry about it. Go ahead. You are welcome here."

Squall grabbed the room key and hurried to it. When he got inside the room, he headed right for the shower, throwing off the ugly clothing.

It was the best shower he'd ever had in his life. 

He got out and dried off, getting back into the only clothing he had. He still looked like an idiot, but at least he didn't stink like sewage. 

He made his way straight to the bank, going through the same routine to enter the agency's walls. His boss was certainly happy to see the files in his hand. But he was shocked at Squall's attire.

"What in the world? Are you feeling okay?" 

Squall sighed in annoyance. "Yeah. I had to steal these because my clothes got trashed."

He laughed and shook his head, "Your luck, huh Leonhart? You always get stuck with something like that. Need some new boots, though."

Squall looked down at the ruined black boots. "Yeah."

"Talk to Emelia. She'll find you a new pair, and maybe a new outfit if you're lucky."

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Squall was more than happy to be back in normal clothing. Now, he could enter Garden with dignity.

He walked right through the front gates, completely ignoring the salutes from the guards and students. He only had one thing on his mind.

He and Rinoa had agreed to meet on the balcony at 8:00. Well, it was about that time, and he knew he shouldn't be late. She was frustrated enough with him as it was.

Though, he couldn't blame her. He wasn't the easiest person to deal with.

He opened the doors to the balcony and walked to the rail. Not surprisingly, Rinoa was already there. She was always early.

She looked at him. "So?"

He leaned against the rail. "So…what?"

She grumbled in irritation, "So, you are going to talk to me now?"

"Yeah."

"Well, out with it then."

He sighed, "It's not that easy."

She calmed down a bit and put a hand gently on his shoulder. "It's okay. You know you can talk to me."

He loved that touch. It radiated through his whole body, relaxing him. He loved everything about her. It was hard keeping such a secret from her. It hurt him. But it would be really hard to tell her the truth, too."

"I'm…you…well…" Squall struggled

"Calm down. It's alright." She whispered into his ear.

He took a deep breath. "You know how…you always say nobody understands what it's like to be different? To have abilities that they didn't ask for?"

"Yeah."

He looked at her, "Well, I understand. I'm…I'm different, too."

She moved to his side, leaning against the rail. "Squall, don't try to cheer me up about that."

"I'm not. This is the truth, I swear."

"How are you 'different' then?"

"Promise me, swear to me that you will not tell a SINGLE soul. If you do, it could compromise our safety. Please."

"Okay, okay, I promise. I won't tell anyone, not ever."

He took another deep breath to relax himself, then continued. "I'm…not one…not one of…of you."

She looked surprised. "Not one of me? What am I?"

"A human."

Rinoa's eyes widened. "What? Well…what ARE you?"

Squall closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I'm…an Elf."

"That isn't funny."

"I'm not joking."

She shook her head, "But I thought Elves were extinct."

"No. A good number of us are still alive."

"What was it that killed the others?"

He looked back out towards the beach, quelling the memories and pain of the night he lost his family.

"Humans."

She put a hand over her mouth, then brought it back down, eyes wide in surprise. "Humans?"

"Yes."

"But…how?"

He sighed, "They went through all of our villages, massacred everyone, burned the villages to the ground."

Rinoa's eyes teared up. "I'm so sorry."

"You didn't do it."

She shook her head, "No, not like that. I'm sorry I prodded you about it. I feel so bad."

"It's okay. You deserve to know."

"I know, but…"

He turned to her, "But nothing. Don't be sorry. It was going to come out sometime and I'd rather it came out when we're like this."

She hugged him, then pulled away, looking up at him. "But I thought Elves had pointy ears. Your ears aren't pointy."

He laughed a little. "Yes they are, you just can't see them."

He took off one of the rubber bits, revealing the true shape of his ears.

She touched his ear gently, "Wow."

He put the cover back on, and turned serious again. "Can you forgive me for lying to you?"

"Oh, Squall. Of course I can."

He turned away, leaning back onto the rail. "Can you accept me? I mean, how can you? I lied to you, went behind your back, hurt you…"

She put a hand to his mouth. "Stop it. Squall, you did frustrate me at times. But you brought me so much happiness. When I was out of the coma and had Edea's powers, everyone treated me differently, like I was a monster. They acted like they were my friends, but it was obvious that they were simply respecting me out of fear. They all hated me inside. Everyone but you. You still treated me the same. You were hard on me, but you made me feel normal. Like I'd never gotten the powers. I know I'll probably have them forever, but it isn't like I asked for them, so it isn't fair that people hate me. You didn't ask to be an Elf, or to be in this situation, either. How can I hate you for that?"

He looked at her, surprised. "I just thought, you would be mad."

"Squall, I wouldn't have told either if I was in the same situation. It's not like you can advertise it."

"Yeah…"

They were interrupted by a SeeD cadet coming onto the balcony. "Commander? And Miss Heartilly? Cid wants to see you. He has an important mission for you. Come up right away." 

The cadet then hurried off, out to do another job.

Squall looked at her. "So, I guess we should get going?"

She smiled, "I guess so, _Commander_."

"Stop, you know I hate that." 

She giggled, "Yeah. That's why I do it! Come on, we're gonna be late, and Cid doesn't like that."

He took her by the arm and pulled her close. "We might be a little late. We have to do this first."

"Do wha…" 

Rinoa was interrupted by Squall, who kissed her passionately. She melted into his arms. 

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So what if we're late? This is what matters.

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Author's Notes: A little Squall/Rinoa fluffiness, sorry! I can't help it. Anyway, now that she knows, she is involved. More will be revealed in later chapters. Thanks for reading. Please drop a review by!


	5. Problems

Author's Notes: Thanks to those of you who reviewed. At this point, the actual crossover of Lord of the Rings is going to become more obvious. Sorry that the beginning is a little slow!

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Time's Scars

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Chapter Four: Problems

Squall and Rinoa arrived in Cid's office, out of breath from running.

"Sir," Squall gasped, "Sorry we took so long."

Cid laughed. "It's okay, Squall. You two look exhausted. Sit down, cool off a bit, eh?"

Rinoa sat down in a nearby chair, but Squall remained standing. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he turned to Cid. "So, what's going on?"

Cid's normally cheerful face turned serious. "Well, we have a problem."

"As you two have probably heard, Galbadia recently elected a new leader. We were under the impression that their warring days were over, but we now have reason to believe there is a serious problem."

Squall folded his arms, "So, what's the leader doing that we need to get involved with? I'm not going to go back to try and save their asses. I've already done it. If they want a leader to murder them, let them keep it."

"Well, the problem is not his affect on Galbadia. It is his affect on the world."

Rinoa looked up. "What does that mean?"

Cid sighed, "He's more powerful than we thought. His ability to reorganize the country has been amazing, and now he's going for the true power."

"Where is that?" Squall asked.

"Squall, do you remember the story of the Ring?" Cid questioned, "I know Edea often told you children about it."

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"It isn't a fairy tale, Squall. That story really happened. And we now know the Ring is not completely gone. It can be brought back."

Squall shook his head is disbelief. "You have got to be kidding! The Ring is REAL?"

Cid nodded.

Rinoa stood up. "If it can be brought back…it would make him all-powerful."

"Exactly. Which is why we have to stop him."

"And how are we to do that?" Squall asked, "How can the Ring even be brought back?"

Cid sat down in his chair and motioned for Squall and Rinoa to both seat themselves. "This will be a long story."

"Odine has been doing quite a bit of research on the Ring. He was fascinated by the story. But in the process of that research, he learned how the Ring can be brought back."

When the Elves were destroyed, their magic no longer resided in the land. It was this magic that kept the Ring from being able to return. Before the first war, Galbadian scientists somehow discovered this, or so we believe. That may have been a key factor in their strong desire to turn the world against the Elves. Ultimecia knew about it. She knew if she got the Ring, nobody would be able to stop her. By taking over Edea's body, she was able to control Galbadia, and she knew they would get her the Ring. We were very lucky she did not get her hands on it."

This leader is determined to bring it back. To do that, he must go to Centra. At the ruins of Lothlorien, he can revive the ring."

"Lothlorien? The Land of Eternal Rain?" Rinoa asked.

Squall turned to her. "Lothlorien wasn't always like that. It wasn't until the Elves living there were wiped out that the rain came. It was because the ecosystem there was altered by the removal of Elf magic that the rain has now taken over."

Cid nodded. "Good to know that Squall is up-to-date in his knowledge of Elves."

Squall looked back at Cid, "How would he get it once he was there? He'd need to have strong magic powers to do that."

"Yes, he would."

Rinoa looked back at Cid, "The powers of a Sorceress?"

"No. The powers of an Elf."

*******************************************************************************************

Squall led the way to Ragnarok, followed by the whole gang. They were headed to Lothlorien. Cid was hopeful that some clues might be hidden. The others had been briefed on the situation.

Once onboard and in the air, Squall set the autopilot and prepared for a long ride. It would take at least five or six hours to get to Southern Centra, even in Ragnarok.

Squall leaned back in a chair, sighing. Everyone was pretty quiet. The situation wasn't unlike the one with Edea. It was almost creepy how similar it felt to all of them.

Selphie finally broke the silence. "I just can't believe it. If the story of the Ring is true, then where are the Elves? We have the other species around, but I always thought Elves were mythical."

"No," Squall replied, "Elves were always here. They fought in the first Sorceress War. They are gone now because of the humans."

Quistis cocked her head a little, "Didn't you mean to say 'us'?"

"What?"

She laughed a little, "You said 'the humans', why didn't you just say 'us'?"

Squall narrowed his eyes, "It doesn't matter, Quistis."

__

Us? I would never define myself as part of their race. 

"It kinda does." Said Zell. "I mean, if I was talking about our little group here, I would say 'us', not our names."

"Whatever. It isn't important."

Rinoa sighed softly. She knew how Squall felt about most humans. She was the only one he'd really accepted. He was often bitter towards the others. Though, she couldn't blame him. After watching them murder his family, he had every right not to like them.

Zell turned to Squall, "What is your problem lately?!"

Squall looked a bit surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Tch. You've been really ignorant lately. I mean, earlier, you were at least more respectful. Now, you just yell at all of us. We're supposed to be your friends!"

__

My friends? You all are my friends? Since when? It was YOUR people who murdered my family, destroyed my life.

Squall stood up. "And what ever gave you the idea that I was friends with any of you? You aren't my friends. I put up with you because I have to. Other than that, you mean nothing to me."

He quickly exited the room.

Zell folded his arms, "What the heck is with him? We're nice to him, and he acted like he cared. Now, he's going to go off and hate us? I can't stand that guy."

"Seriously." Said Irvine.

Rinoa sighed, "Guys, it's not like that. He is friends with us. He's just upset."

"About what?" Asked Quistis. "He has everything he wanted! What reason does he have to be upset?"

Rinoa folded her arms. "You don't get it, you never will. You people just don't realize how hard it is to have to hide yourself in front of everyone because you are scared of being hated. You don't know how it feels to be different!" She also left the room, headed in the direction Squall had gone.

"Squall's different? How the heck is he different?" Zell said.

Irvine looked at him. "Zell, if you say 'the heck' one more time, I swear I'll backhand you."

"Fine, jeez."

Selphie looked concerned, not angry like the others. "Guys, maybe Squall is hiding something. Maybe he is mean because he doesn't want us to know. Like we wouldn't get it."

Irvine snorted, "What is he, gay or something?"

Selphie turned and slapped Irvine, "How could you say that? What is the matter with all of you? We should be worried about him! He's our friend!"

"Apparently not." Said Irvine, rubbing his cheek.

*******************************************************************************************

Rinoa managed to catch up to Squall. She took his arm. "Hey, it's okay."

He stopped and turned to face her. "No. It isn't okay."

She sighed, "Why?"

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "I just…I don't know. I can't explain it. I do care about them, but…"

"They're humans?" Rinoa finished.

"Yes. I don't know. I just…the thought of them being…you know…it makes me hate them. I feel more and more isolated every day. I'm different from them, I have to hide. And now, I have to worry about my people. You heard what Cid said, that psycho running Galbadia needs an Elf to get the Ring."

She put a hand on his shoulder, "I know you're worried. But I think you need to remind yourself that it wasn't them who killed your family."

He shook his head, "No, that isn't it. They talk about it. They talk about Elves like we're freaks, like everyone else does. They didn't kill my family, but their opinions continue to destroy us."


	6. Lothlorien

****

Time's Scars

__

Chapter Five: Lothlorien

After a tense flight, the Ragnarok finally landed in the Kakashbald Desert. It was the closest to the city that they could land safely.

The group left the ship, walking slowly and quietly towards their destination.

"I hate Centra! It's so hot!" Selphie whined

Rinoa could see the irritation Squall felt, but he was good at keeping himself under control, so he bit his tongue.

It wasn't long before the ruins of the city could be seen on the horizon. Not much closer, the downpour that characterized it started. Of course, they hadn't brought any rain protection, it would have been useless anyway. They were to stay for awhile, keep watch to make sure nobody suspicious came around.

As, at last, they reached the ruins, Squall immediately felt tension in his chest. This was what had become of his home, his beloved home. 

The stone buildings were crumbling, and their walls were scorched black from the fires. How could a place, once so beautiful, become something so dreary. He could still hear the screams… 

The others were silent, in shock over what they knew had occurred. Humans, their kind, did this.

Squall quickly marched forward, "Come on, quit gawking. Act like soldiers."

Silently, they responded to him, following his lead. Cid had found a place near the center of the city that wasn't too badly destroyed. They were to stay there. That way, they would be close to the area where Galbadia's leader would be headed.

The building was crumbling, but was surprisingly stable considering the years of rain it had endured. Inside, it was dry, and they had shelter from the chilly wind. Lothlorien might have been in southern Centra, but it had become surprisingly cold. 

This was nothing like the city Squall remembered. He had always loved the beautiful weather, the ornate carvings of birds and trees in the buildings. He remembered how much he'd loved to play in the center square, with his childhood friends.

He moved over to the wall, running his fingers over the faded carvings. He knew this place well. It was close to where his home had been. A church, sort of a temple, was what it used to be. It was a place of refuge when he was afraid. There was always such peace and solitude inside. Now, it was just a hollow shell. Even the large tree that grew through the center was withered. Its lush green canopy of leaves was gone. 

"You okay?" asked Irvine, interrupting Squall's memories.

"Fine."

Of course, he was lying. Inside, he felt an aching sorrow. This place had been his life, everything he knew. Now, it was gone. All because of them…

Suddenly, he walked out of the building, headed down one of the stone pathways. Rinoa quickly got up and followed, and a concerned Selphie and Quistis also tagged along. Zell and Irvine stuck around to keep an eye out for trouble.

Squall walked quickly, as though he knew exactly where he was going. He did.

Upon seeing it, he froze in his tracks. 

The ruins of his family's home. All that was left were ashes and a few crumbling stone walls.

*******************************************************************************************

Irvine sighed, getting up and observing some of the carvings on the walls. There were so many of them.

"I wonder what's bothering him so much." Zell said.

Irvine looked back at him, "I know. He's acted strange ever since this all came up."

Zell walked over to where Irvine was standing, taking a look at the carvings as well. "Does it bother him what happened here? Maybe it makes him feel guilty."

"I don't know. Squall's been responsible for bad things happening before, and had no problem. This wasn't his fault."

"True."

Zell walked over to a different wall, observing the foreign language that was written on the walls.

"Irvine! Come here!" He suddenly cried.

Irvine rushed over, "What is it?"

"Look at this."

The carving on the wall was a lion, exactly like the one on Squall's necklace.

*******************************************************************************************

He was frozen in fear, images flashing past his eyes. The flames, the screams of his family as they were slaughtered.

The memories he'd tried so hard to ignore for years all flooded back, the night became real all around him. He saw them all. The mob, the dead bodies, the flames all across the city…

He fell to his knees, unable to stand on his trembling legs.

"Squall!" Rinoa cried out, moving quicker to get to his side. Selphie and Quistis were right behind her, and just as worried. Squall never acted like this.

He put his face into his hands, silently crying. 

Rinoa touched his shoulder gently. She knew he was sobbing. The others didn't. Squall was good at concealing emotion. Only she knew the pain this encounter brought him.

Selphie and Quistis also put a hand on him, trying to comfort him.

Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked at them. "Leave me alone!" he snarled.

They were surprised and all stepped back a few steps as Squall turned to face the building again.

"What do we do?" Quistis asked.

"You guys get out of here. I want to see if I can help." Rinoa whispered

"You sure? I don't want you to get hurt." Selphie replied.

"Yeah. He won't do anything to me."

She waited until they were out of sight, then moved back towards Squall. He stared forward, his eyes glazed over.

__

"You have to, for us. You have to go. For everyone."

"No…I love you mommy! I'm sorry!"

"Go. You have to. I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "No. Why did you do it? You should've let me die with you!"

Rinoa stopped, surprised to hear him speak.

She knelt by him, gently taking his hand. "Squall, you know that isn't true."

He pulled away from her, "I thought I told you to leave!"

"Hey, stop it. Don't get angry at me. I didn't do this. Squall, you are an ambassador for them, for every one of them. Your parents knew you would be. I know it hurts. But you have so much now, and I know you don't want to be dead."

"…"

"Please, Squall. Please just let me be here. We all feel emotions. It's okay."

He looked at her, and hesitated to move towards her.

"R…Rinoa…" He managed to choke out.

She put her arms around him, and he held her tightly, quietly crying on her shoulder.

"Why? Why did it have to happen? Why did they all have to die?"

She felt tears come into her own eyes as well. Squall didn't cry, usually. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

He pulled away, keeping his arms around her, and looked back at the house. "My family. Everything I ever knew…"

She continued to stay close to him, letting him finally have a chance to truly mourn the deaths of his loved ones.

*******************************************************************************************

Quistis and Selphie returned to the shelter, greeted by a surprised Zell and Irvine.

"What happened? Where's Squall and Rinoa?" Irvine asked.

Selphie shook her head, "He just sort of freaked out, I guess. Collapsed in the middle of the walkway. I think he might have been crying. Couldn't tell."

"Crying? Squall doesn't cry." Zell said

"I know. We tried to comfort him a little, and he just yelled at us to leave. Rinoa told us to go, that she would help him alone. I think something big is going on, I just don't know what."

Irvine sighed, "Well, I think we just found out, guys."

"What?"

"Come here."

The girls followed him over to the wall, where he pointed out the carving.

Quistis took a breath in quickly, "That…that's the lion on Squall's pendant!"

Selphie looked at Irvine, "Why is it here?"

"Well…this might sound crazy…but…"

"Out with it!" Quistis snapped

"We think Squall used to live here."

Selphie looked at the carving again, then back at Irvine. "Why?"

Zell joined them over by the wall, "Well, see all these symbols? I think these are the family symbols of everyone that lived here."

"Wait…that would mean…"

Irvine looked at Zell, "Guys, Squall is one of them, a surviving Elf."

Quistis shook her head, "We have no real proof! We don't know what this even means. We can't read this language. The pendant doesn't mean he's an Elf!"

"She's right." Selphie agreed.

"It would be quite a coincidence." Zell said.

"But we don't know that, not yet." Selphie replied, "We can't just approach him on it. We've got to keep this quiet for awhile, until we know more, or have some more evidence. Besides, Squall is in bad shape, we don't want to make things worse for him."

"It would make sense, somewhat, though." Quistis said.

Selphie looked up, "What do you mean?"

"Well, Squall has been distraught lately, especially since we heard about coming here. He would be. If he was a survivor, then his family was murdered here, and he probably saw it. It would explain why he's upset at us, we're humans, the same as the people who did it."

"What about Rinoa?"

She shook her head. "No, Rinoa's an exception. She's a sorceress. She would understand him more. She knows what he's feeling. They both have an enormous amount of power that they are feared and hated because of."

Irvine looked up, "That's right! You remember what she said on the Ragnarok! We didn't know how it felt to be different. She was talking about her and Squall!"

Selphie leaned back on the stone wall, "Wow. Guys, this whole time he's been…"

Zell sat down, "I know. It's incredible. I never would have thought."

"So, what are we going to do with him?" Irvine asked

"What?" 

"He's an Elf. You heard what Cid said. The leader of Galbadia needs an Elf to obtain the ring. He's got one right here. What if Squall ends up being that Elf?"


	7. Friend or Foe?

Author's Notes: I appreciate all the reviews so far, I like to hear them. I'll probably continue to update this regularly, until school starts. Thanks for reading, and please review.

**Time's Scars**

__

Chapter 6: Friend or Foe?

Irvine, Quistis, Selphie, and Zell stayed in the small shelter until Squall and Rinoa returned. By the time they got back, Squall looked just fine, like nothing had happened at all.

"Hey, 'bout time you two came! You alright?" Zell greeted them.

Squall sighed, "Yeah. Sorry, you guys. This just really bothers me."

"Why?" Selphie asked

"It's…it's just not right. I almost wish I could do something. Ever since I found out about it…it's just horrible to think that people like us did this." 

"People like us?" 

"SeeD."

Irvine looked up, "SeeD did this?"

"Partly. I don't know…it's stupid. Let's just focus on what we have to do, okay?"

******************************************************************************************

"Sir, the SeeD commander is officially out of the area. This is the perfect time for us."

The man smiled, "Good. Destroy the enemy."

The cadet nodded, "Yes, Mr. Nekura. Would you like us to deploy the Uruk-Hai?"

"Yes, send them all, every troop. Balamb Garden stands no chance against them, especially in such a large army. Then, we can focus on the true task at hand."

******************************************************************************************

Squall stoked the small fire they'd built to combat the cold night air. Everyone else was asleep.

__

I just have such a bad feeling, like something terrible is going to happen. Am I imagining, or having a premonition?

A heavy feeling had settled on his chest ever since he'd returned with Rinoa earlier that day. Though he wanted to believe nothing was wrong, he knew his gut instinct had never failed him before.

******************************************************************************************

Irvine and Quistis walked across the desert that morning, going to pick up supplies from Ragnarok. But that was not all they intended on doing.

After boarding the ship, they made their way to the cockpit, turning on the radio transmitter.

"Balamb Garden, do you read?" Irvine said into the speaker.

"This is Balamb Garden."

Quistis gently pushed Irvine aside, "This is Instructor Trepe and soldier Irvine Kinneas. We've been deployed on a mission with the Commander. We need to speak to Headmaster Cid immediately."

"Yes maam'. We'll get him right away."

After a short pause, Cid's voice replied, "Hello, you two. What's going on? Sounded pretty urgent."

"Well, it is, sir." Quistis said

"What's wrong?" He asked

"We have good reason to believe that Squall is an Elf. His pendant matches a carving inside Lothlorien's church, and he had a difficult time when we came in."

Cid sighed. "Do you have any proof yet?"

"Not rock solid," Irvine said, "But it's something of concern. We need to get back to Garden with him."

"Yes." Cid replied, "We'll capture him on arrival and investigate with some DNA testing. We can take no chances. There's no telling what he may do. Squall may be a good kid, but I've always known there was something about him. Tell him we're detecting activity on Galbadian land and that we need him. Instructor, I want you and Mr. Dincht to escort him and Rinoa back to the area immediately, understood?"

"Yes sir." They both replied, shutting the radio off.

******************************************************************************************

Irvine and Quistis came running back to the camp, looking nervous.

"What's wrong?" Zell asked

After taking a few breaths, Quistis replied, "Cid said there is some suspicious activity in Galbadia and that he needs Squall, Rinoa, and Zell back to Garden immediately."

"What kind of suspicious activity?" Squall questioned.

"He didn't say." Irvine gasped, "But it sounded pretty important."

The three of them rose, ready to go.

"But none of us can really fly the Ragnarok." Rinoa said.

"I know." Quistis replied, "I'll be taking you guys back, then leaving again."

They followed Quistis' lead, in complete trust that everything was going to be fine. Zell knew what was going on, however, and he felt badly. He and Squall were good friends at that point, and he didn't want to betray Squall.

The four of them boarded Ragnarok, and Quistis made her way to the cockpit, while the other three stayed in the flight cabin.

Squall sat down next to Rinoa, muttering under his breath.

"What was that?" Zell asked

"It…isn't it a little strange that Cid would just suddenly need us? Why didn't he say what was going on?"

Zell shrugged, "Maybe they don't know."

Squall sort of nodded, then fixed his gaze onto the floor.

He was worried, and Zell knew it. 

An hour into the flight home, Zell couldn't take it anymore. He felt guilty, and he knew he should warn Squall. They'd certainly kill him if it was discovered that he was truly an Elf, which Zell also believed.

"Squall, can I talk to you outside for a sec?" He asked

Squall looked up at him, "Okay."

They walked out and Zell made sure the door to the cabin was closed and that they were far away enough that Quistis would not hear through the elevator shaft to the cockpit.

"Squall, it's a trap."

"What?"

"This urgent call thing, it's a trap. We all know about it."

"A trap for who? Rinoa?"

Zell shook his head, "No, it's for you."

Squall's brow furrowed in confusion, "Why are they trying to trap me?"

"Because we figured it out, Squall. We figured out who you are."

He hesitated for a moment, hoping Zell wasn't talking about what he thought. "Who…I am?"

"Squall, don't lie, okay? You're a runaway Elf, a survivor, aren't you?"

Squall shook his head in disbelief, "What in the world made you think that?"

"We saw a carving in the church wall that matched your Griever pendant. And the way you freaked out when we got there supported our theory all the more. It isn't certain, but Cid is going to capture you to make sure. If you truly are, you've got to get out of here somehow. They'll kill you. I can help you and Rinoa escape."

Squall leaned back against the wall, sighing. "Shit, I didn't even think about that. How do I know you aren't lying to me right now?"

"Dude, you know me, okay? The others wouldn't say anything because they aren't friends with you like I am. I don't want you to get whacked, okay? You have to believe me."

"I'm putting my trust in you, Zell. Don't let me regret it." Squall warned. "We just have to take Quistis out."

"So it's true?" Zell asked.

Squall turned to him, "Well, obviously, Zell."

He nodded, "Okay. What do you mean by 'take out' Quistis? Kill her?"

"No! We're not going to _kill_ her. We're going to knock her out and restrain her so I can divert the flight path and get out of here."

"Right, sorry. How are we gonna knock her out?"

Squall folded his arms, thinking. "I'll go up there and say I'm checking things out. Do we still have those bottles of Valium on the ship?"

Zell nodded.

"Okay, and we have syringes?"

"Yup."

"Good, show me where they are."

Zell led Squall down to the medical bay, which had been unused for some time. Sure enough, the supplies were all there.

Squall grabbed a vial and a syringe. He carefully measured out the dose and flicked the side of the tube a couple of times to make sure no air bubbles were present.

"Okay. I'm going in there. You wait at the bottom of the lift with this." Squall said, handing Zell a length of cable. "Tie her up, ankles and wrists, and lock her in the storage bay, the empty one, so she can't do anything."

"Got it." Zell replied.

Zell followed him out and back up to the lift. Squall turned to him. "Zell, if you aren't here when I get down, or you try and fool me, as much as I hate to do it, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Right." Zell said nervously.

Squall boarded the lift, concealing the syringe in his hand.

Quistis turned to look at him, then turned back. "What are you doing up here? I thought you guys were going to stay in the flight cabin."

Before she could respond, he was right behind her. "We were. But we learned we had a traitor on board."

"Wha…"

Squall clamped a hand over her mouth, quickly jamming the needle into her arm and injecting it. She tried to struggle, but he was too strong. As she began to succumb to the drug, he whispered, "That's right, just go to sleep, Quisty. We're not going to hurt you."


	8. Loyalty

****

Time's Scars

__

Chapter 7: Loyalty

Quistis awoke to find herself trapped in a small storage bay on the ship. Her wrists and ankles were bound with ropes. Groggily, she sat up, remembering what had gotten her there.

__

What have I done? She thought _I betrayed Squall. I chose Garden over him. What is wrong with me?_

She frantically began chewing at the ropes around her wrists, knowing she needed to help. Garden had a tracking device on the ship, and now that they were so off course, soldiers would be sent out.

******************************************************************************************

The three teenagers ran through Timber, being careful not to come out in open areas for very long. Squall knew that Garden would have soldiers all over Galbadia looking for him. He'd diverted to there so that he could catch a train to Balamb. It was dangerous, but safer than directly flying in. If he'd flown to Balamb, they would surely have caught him.

"What will they do?" Zell asked quietly.

Squall stopped, letting Zell and Rinoa take a break. "They'll do everything they can to capture me."

"Why? They don't even have proof you're an Elf yet."

Squall chuckled bitterly, "Yes they do. Cid's known all along."

Rinoa looked up in surprise, "What?!"

"You think he got me into Garden and advanced me so quickly to be nice? Of course not. He made sure I wasn't adopted at the orphanage."

Zell shook his head, "Matron knew?"

"No, but I'm sure she suspected something."

"How did he even get his hands on you?"

Squall sighed and continued walking, "He bought me."

"Bought you?" Rinoa asked, "How?"

"Well, shortly after I got away, I was found and attacked by another group of humans. A guy came in and saved me, but not to be nice. He knew why they were attacking me. He sold me on the black market, knowing how valuable I could be to military groups."

"Are you serious?" Zell cried

"Yes. Where do you think all that money went, Zell? NORG was rich, and Cid had plenty of funding beforehand. Even the orphanage was better before I came, remember?"

"So, Cid went behind NORG's back?"

"Pretty much. It was his original intention to have me destroy NORG anyway once he was done with his money."

Rinoa shook her head, "I always thought Cid was a nice man."

"He's a good actor, that's for sure."

"So, were you like, his slave or something?" Zell asked

"You could say that. I had to obey his orders, because at that time there was no way I could escape. I was a kid, with no real knowledge of my abilities, and no place to go."

"I can't believe he would do that." Zell grumbled.

Squall stopped suddenly and motioned for them to get down. A few minutes later, a group of SeeD soldiers marched past, weapons out and ready.

"They're here." Zell gulped.

Rinoa looked at Squall, "How are we going to catch a train? They'll see us! And I'm sure they have the tracks either monitored or blocked off."

"Probably. We'll have to wait, I guess." He sighed, "But I don't know if we should. Something's going to happen, something bad."

"How do you know?"

He shook his head, "I just do. I always know. I can feel it."

Zell laughed quietly, "Man, you really are skilled."

"It isn't a great life."

"So what are we going to do?" Rinoa interrupted.

"There has to be some way to get on a train. Garden is good, but they aren't THAT good."

"I dunno, man." Zell replied, "They know how to find someone."

Squall looked at Zell, "Maybe they know how to find someone normal. But they have no idea how good I am at getting around. You forget, Zell, I'm not an easy target to track."

"True, but you aren't invincible."

"We'll make it. Even if I have to take a few of them out, we'll make it."

******************************************************************************************

Quistis ran into Timber, ignored by the swarming soldiers. They were so focused on finding Squall that they didn't even notice her. 

She knew he'd be here. He had to get to Balamb to talk with the other Elves. It was rumored that a group of them lived in the city, and she knew that rumor was true. He'd be headed for the trains. But how could he manage to sneak past and get onto one without getting caught?

There was no way he could.

******************************************************************************************

Squall led them quietly and carefully around the groups of soldiers. Every passing moment made him more tense. He hadn't realized how many of them there were here. There were guards everywhere. 

He stopped and shook his head, "There's no way."

"What do you mean?" Zell whispered

"There is no way we'll make it to a train. They're everywhere. There's no place to hide."

Just as soon as he'd said it, a soldier spotted them. His first instinct was to run, but where?

The man pointed a gun at them, along with a few other soldiers nearby. "Stand up."

They stood, having no other choice.

"You can't run, Commander. Piece of scum. We're going to destroy you as soon as we get home. I'll enjoy watching it." The soldier sneered.

"I don't think so." Said a familiar female voice nearby.

Before they could even look to see who it was, gunfire erupted. Squall pushed Zell and Rinoa down, out of the way of the bullets. Then, he realized that there were no bullets aimed at them. He looked up to see the nearby groups of soldiers on the ground, dead.

He stood up slowly and looked at his savior.

__

Quistis

"I thought you'd be here." She said.

Squall smiled, "Quistis once again saves my ass with the help of a machine gun."

She grinned and held up the weapon, "They come in handy."

"Damn, woman!" Zell exclaimed, "How did you sneak that in here?"

"Wasn't hard with all those idiots. They didn't even notice me! I can't believe those dimwits at Garden sent out _cadets_ to do this!"

Squall sighed, "Good. Let's get on a train before they close those tracks. There's one launching now."

The four ran up the stairway and leapt onto the back end of the train, just before it took off. They snuck inside, finding a well-hidden seating area among the other civilians.

"Quistis?" Squall asked, once they'd seated themselves.

"Yes, Squall?"

He reached out and took her hand, looking her in the eyes, "Thank you."


	9. Shattered

****

Time's Scars

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Chapter Eight: Shattered

"Dammit!" yelled Cid as he slammed his fist on the desk. "What do you mean he got away?!"

The young soldier shifted uncomfortably, "We tried to capture him, sir. Ex-Instructor Quistis Trepe took down thirty soldiers in a few seconds. She gave him an opportunity to escape."

"What? Quistis was working for **me**! How dare she! Where are they? Did you see the direction of escape?"

The young man nodded, "Yes sir. They boarded a train headed to Balamb."

Cid smiled, "Good. I want troops down at Balamb's train station. Capture Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly alive. Kill the others if they get in your way. If they don't, capture them also."

"Yes sir!"

******************************************************************************************

Squall sighed and fidgeted nervously. He knew their escape was far from flawless. Soldiers had to have seen them board the train. They'd be waiting for him, no doubt about it. But how could he get off the train without being noticed?

Quistis watched Squall's movements, knowing he was nervous. Of course he was, and so was she. Garden would no doubt punish she and Zell for helping. They'd be lucky if they weren't killed.

"How are we gonna pull this off?" Zell whispered, breaking the tense silence.

All eyes were on Squall for a plan.

__

Why me? Why do I have to know? What am I supposed to say? I have no idea what to do!

Squall shook his head, "I don't know."

Quistis' eyes widened a bit. Never was there a time that Squall couldn't think of something. "What? You have to know!"

"Keep it down." Squall snarled, "You'll get us all caught if you blow our cover."

Quistis took a deep breath, then spoke again. "Squall, you've always been the leader, the one with a plan. Think. You can think of something."

"No, I can't. Listen, Quistis, I'm not a superhero, okay? I can't just magically pull the answer out of my ass whenever we need it."

Silence fell once again, and the four teenagers faced the realization of what was going to happen.

"We're going to die." Rinoa whispered.

Squall grumbled in frustration, "No, we're not. There has to be another way off this train!"

"Like where?" Zell asked, "They'll be surrounding us on all sides, Squall. We can't just run."

A small smile crossed Squall's face, "I think I have a plan now."

******************************************************************************************

"Where is the boy?!" Nekura yelled.

The man before him put his hands forward, urging him to calm down. "We'll have him soon. They said he's on a train to Balamb and that he'll be captured momentarily. Cid is a good puppet for us. He'll get Squall."

Nekura smiled, "Good. I need him for my work to be a success. Make sure to keep the spell strong on Cid, until we get Squall."

"What then, sir?"

"Don't worry. The Uruk-Hai are already on their way over. They'll kill the lot of them, and leave the boy and the sorceress with me."

******************************************************************************************

It was a bumpy ride off the train, but at least they weren't visible to the eyes of the SeeD soldiers that had swarmed onto the train platform. They checked every passenger coming off the train, and kept a full watch all around.

Squall watched through a crack in the crate. When the train was unloaded, the SeeD soldiers moved in, tearing it apart to try and find him.

"He's not in there? He has to be! Look again! Look until you find all of them! They're on that train." An angry commander shouted at his troops.

Squall almost cracked a grin. His plan was working well so far. It wasn't likely that they'd think of checking the cargo crates coming off the train. Balamb Garden soldiers might be good, but most weren't very smart.

Nearby, Zell and Quistis shared a crate as well. Rinoa was in his. He'd figured it would be better to pair up so that they could keep one another silent. If even a cough was heard, it was all over.

He had to get to the agency. The Elves needed to know about this Galbadian psycho. They could defeat him.

The soldiers looked and looked, but still couldn't find Squall. Just as they were about to give up looking, Squall heard a small sneeze nearby. Though it was quiet, it caught the attention of one of the squad leaders, who motioned for the others to come near.

"The cargo crates. They're in them." He whispered.

But even with the men talking quietly, Squall's exceptional hearing picked it all up. He turned white.

They had been found. There was no where to go.

He looked at Rinoa, who was huddled up next to him, terrified. She looked up into his eyes, hoping he would tell her it was okay.

But he simply shook his head. She knew what he meant. It was over for them all.

The troops quickly moved to the crates, breaking the lids off to check the contents thoroughly. It was only a matter of time now until they reached their crate. He squeezed Rinoa's hand gently and kissed her softly on the cheek. He knew they may very well never see one another again after this. Even if they fought, there was no way they could escape. At least, not with this many soldiers.

And finally, after a few tense moments, Squall heard Zell and Quistis cry out as the soldiers threw them out of the crate and tied them up.

Just as it happened, the top of their crate burst open. The soldiers reached in roughly and grabbed them both by the chest, throwing them on the ground.

Squall felt the weight of many soldiers piling on top of him, pinning him down. Of course, it didn't matter anyway. He had no intention of fighting back now.

He could see as the solders tied Rinoa up as well.

After his ankles and wrists were bound, a group of three soldiers lifted him up, carrying him to a Garden vehicle. They threw him roughly inside, slamming his head against the metal paneling of the walls inside. Still, he showed no reaction.

To his surprise, Rinoa was also thrown into his vehicle. A few armed guards followed, keeping them both at gunpoint.

In the front seat, Squall could hear one of the soldiers talking through the radio to Cid.

"We have him, sir. We also have the sorceress, instructor, and martial artist."

"All alive?"

"Yes sir."

A pause, then Cid's voice came back strong, "Take the elf and sorceress over to Nekura, bring the instructor and martial artist to Garden."

"Sir, why do you want to give him to Nekura?!"

"That's an order!" Cid screamed back.

Rinoa looked at Squall, eyes wide. He looked back at her. "It isn't Cid, it can't be." 

A soldier slammed him in the stomach with the front of his gun. "Shut up."

Squall growled in anger, but didn't move. He looked up at the three armed men in the vehicle.

"You know, you don't need to point those things at us. It's pretty obvious that we aren't fighting back, don't you think?" Squall said.

"I said shut up!" yelled the soldier who'd hit him.

Suddenly, the vehicle came to a stop, and a soldier opened up the back doors. He handed the men two vials, and two syringes. "Use this on them. They'll be asleep the whole way."

They struggled, but couldn't escape the needles. Squall looked at Rinoa and mouthed, "I love you."

She smiled weakly, but both were quickly overcome by the medicine, which sent them into a dark, dreamless slumber.


	10. Prisoner

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Time's Scars

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Chapter Nine: Prisoner 

Rinoa struggled against the ropes that bound her to the chair, but again had no luck. Nearby, Squall also struggled against his ropes. They were inside of her father's mansion. Apparently, he was cooperating with the entire plan.

A nearby door opened, and two men entered. 

The shorter man turned to them and spoke. "This is Nekura, Galbadia's new king. Soon, he will be the world's new king."

Nekura motioned for the man to leave, and he did. But Squall and Rinoa knew they weren't alone. Guards were posted nearby, in case anything broke out.

Nekura smiled at the two. "Ahh, young love. So sweet, yet so damaging."

"Cut to the chase, you stupid bastard." Squall growled, "What do you want with us?"

"Ooh, so feisty you are. You want to know why you are here? Why your beloved sorceress is here?"

Rinoa looked at Squall, whose anger was growing every second. He didn't say a word.

"You are going to help me achieve my plan." Nekura smiled. "You, young Elf. You are the one I've been looking so hard for. No other Elf will do. I need your power, the power of your bloodline. You know, the Leonharts were legendary warriors. Your ancestors were revered because of their powers, stronger than those of sorceresses. You have that power living inside of you. You are well aware of it, but you aren't so sure how to use it, because you've always held back. Now, I will use your power to get the ring."

"What makes you think I'll actually help you?"

He laughed, "You'll have to. Why do you think she's here?"

Nekura walked over to Rinoa and put a hand on her chin. She struggled, but couldn't get free of his grasp. "You will obey me. You will because you want to keep her safe."

Squall's eyes narrowed, "If you hurt her, I swear I'll…"

"You'll what?" Nekura interrupted. "You can't do a thing. You may have power, but I have more."

Squall shook his head. "No. This can't be…"

Rinoa looked back at him once Nekura had moved away, "Don't help them, Squall. Please."

"What will you do?" Squall asked.

"If you don't obey? I'll do her, mister Leonhart."

Squall's brows furrowed. "Excuse me?"

Nekura turned to Squall, smiling. "You heard me. My men and I will have fun with your little angel. Again, and again, and again. And you will watch the whole time. We will be the ones to take away her innocence. I'll be her first, not you. She's a pretty little thing, too. I think we'd all enjoy it. Nice little curvy body…"

"Shut the fuck up, you sick son of a bitch!" Squall roared.

He only laughed. "You will obey me."

Rinoa's eyes were still wide, and she was starting to shake in fear. They would do that to her? But Squall couldn't obey, he couldn't. If he did, the whole world would be at risk.

"Squall, don't!" Rinoa cried, "Don't obey, you can't. Please, don't worry about me. If you obey, everyone will die! Including us! Squall."

__

I can't let them do that to her. She's still pure. I can't let them defile her like that. I won't let them, especially not him. I know the world is at stake, but she is more important to me.

"So, will you obey me? Or do I have to convince you to a bit?" He asked, walking to Rinoa and placing a hand on her thigh.

Squall looked at her, pain in his eyes. 

__

I'm sorry.

"Don't touch her! I'll do it, okay? I'll do whatever you want, just leave her alone."

He smiled, "That's what I thought."

******************************************************************************************

Irvine and Selphie had returned to Garden, and Quistis was in a holding cell with Zell.

But Cid had suddenly fallen ill. He was suffering from terrible head pains, mostly. He'd been taken to the infirmary, unable to walk well.

"What are we gonna do if Cid dies? We have nobody to lead us. Squall was always the best at commanding. Now, we have nobody to do it." Irvine wondered aloud, standing in the infirmary next to her.

Selphie sighed, "I can't believe what's happened. I can't believe Cid would go against everyone like that. He isn't like that, Irvy!"

Irvine sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "I know. This is my fault. I helped Quistis set it up. I found out about Squall. I'm so ashamed. I went against my friends. Squall will never forgive me."

Selphie looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. "You're right. It _is _your fault. You were so mean to him. And if anything happens to him or the others, I'll never forgive you either."

He was stunned by the words that she'd spoken. Never had he heard Selphie talk like that, even when she was really angry. He was at a loss for words. What could he say?

Dr. Kadowaki walked to them. "Cid's doing better. He wants to see you two."

They entered his room. He was hooked up to multiple IV's, but looked much better than he had.

"Hello." He wheezed.

"Sir." Irvine saluted. Selphie simply folded her arms.

Cid pushed himself into a sitting position. "I'm sorry, guys. But you don't understand why I did it."

"Why did you do it, Cid? What's the matter with you?!" Selphie cried.

Cid sighed. "Selphie, he was going to send out an attack."

"We could have handled it."

"No, we could not have. Selphie, the only people that can really fight Orcs are Elves. He was preparing to launch more troops of Orcs than I've ever seen."

She sighed, "So you gave him Squall, huh?"

"I had to! For the lives of everyone!"

"What did he want with him?" Irvine asked.

Cid shrugged, "I'm not certain."

Selphie shook her head. "You said he needed an Elf to get the ring, didn't you? Well, Squall's an Elf, a pure-blooded one. What do you _think _he wanted with him? He's gonna use Squall to get the ring! He'll kill us all anyway!"

Cid shook his head, "Squall won't obey."

Irvine looked up, "He will if they threaten Rinoa's safety."

Cid sighed, "What have I done?"

"What will we do?" Irvine asked.

"Get Quistis and Zell out of lockup. I want you and a few other experienced SeeDs down at Lothlorien right away."


	11. Rebirth

A/N: I have redone this chapter's chant in Quenya. Thanks to Rhi-an for the suggestion. You were right, Quenya is much more developed. I was able to get more of my original poem's content into it. Thank you again, Rhi-an.

And thanks to all of you who have been so kind to review. I will take all of your comments and suggestions to mind when I write now and in the future!

****

Time's Scars

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Chapter Ten: Rebirth

"I just can't believe Cid would be so stupid!" Selphie yelled.

The four teens were headed back to Lothlorien, hoping to beat Nekura there. No doubt, Squall and Rinoa would be with him.

Zell sighed, "What if Squall attacks us, you guys? What are we supposed to do?"

"You heard what Cid said. If he fights, we have to fight back." Irvine replied.

"So, just like that?" Selphie cried, "We should just kill him without a second thought because CID said so? Squall and Rinoa are our friends! How can you guys be so heartless?"

Irvine shook his head and turned back to the control panel, turning his back to Selphie. "It isn't heartless. We have a duty to save the world. If Nekura gets what he wants, it's all over. Don't you see that?"

The ship landed again on the edge of the Kakashbald Desert in Centra. All four made their way back towards the city ruins, not speaking. Nobody could really decide what to do. Was it right to attack Squall and Rinoa? 

As they neared the outskirts of the city, a male voice yelled, "Stop right there!"

Turning, they saw a young Elf, holding his bow in a ready position. "What business do you have here?"

"I think we should be asking you the same." Said Irvine.

"I asked first."

Selphie pushed Irvine aside and walked closer to the young Elf. "We're SeeDs. We are here to prevent the ring from being brought back."

He lowered his bow. "SeeDs? Well, at least you aren't helping that man."

"You know about it?" asked Quistis.

"Of course I know! All the Elves do. We always know when one of our own is in trouble, or when trouble is afoot."

"Are there any more of you here?"

He hesitated, "Why do you care?"

Selphie smiled, "We could use the help."

He nodded. "Well, I'll help you guys. Come on, Nekura's going to be here any minute now."

They quickened their pace and followed him. He lead the group to the center square of the city, which now had an eerie glow.

"They're reviving the magic." The boy said. 

"Only an Elf can do that." Selphie said.

He nodded, "Right."

"So, Nekura is using an Elf?" Irvine asked.

"Yes. He's not just using any old Elf, either. He's using a descendant of the Leonheart family line."

"How are they special?" Zell asked.

The boy sighed, "They were the most powerful warriors. Their magic was always the best. They could move the fastest, they were the strongest. He's the only one left."

"You guys, Squall's…" Selphie began.

But she was interrupted by an explosion of blinding light that caused all five of them to shield their faces. 

When the light faded, four more people stood in the city square. Nekura, Squall, and Rinoa, plus a guard. 

"Well done." Nekura smiled. "Now, walk forward to the very center of the whole city."

Like a robot, Squall followed the orders and did just that.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing?" Zell yelled.

Squall looked at them for a moment, then shifted his view back to his commander.

"Looks like you guys came in time for the show." Cackled the guard standing next to Rinoa.

"Squall, stop! You can't do this!" Selphie yelled.

But Squall paid no attention to her. He had to obey now.

"Now, young Elf, my pet, summon forth the powers of your ancestors." Nekura commanded.

Squall bowed his head and closed his eyes in concentration.

"No! Stop it! Squall, don't do this for me! You have to stop, please!" Rinoa screamed.

Still he did not look up. 

Selphie noticed that the Elf boy they'd brought in was gone. He'd obviously slipped away during the confusion. But he wasn't far away. She could see the movements in the shadows. There were many more Elves on the roofs. They were the only ones who could stand on top of the ruins without falling through. There was an army of them hiding up there.

Squall's voice could be heard all through the city, as the magic made it loud. Before he began his chant, he said one simple thing.

__

" _Carin ni unà cuilë."_

And then, he began the chant. The chant that would bring back the ring.

But the Elves on the rooftops heard his request, and knew they must bring it to save everyone.

__

" Ai, nya melmë,

Sina ná nya coló ana tele

Lótessë nya cuilë na rista sinta

Lótessë nya yèns rato tele

Nan lótessë ta là nè

I ambar's qualmë men or ni

An nya melmë, inyë nira indo:

Sina nèr inyë nira hilya.

Inyë coiva I corma

I úmëa rucin nat

Orta ho lya noirë

Lyë nat ya carin manar!"

Squall began to repeat this again and again, and the Elves on the rooftops hurried into position.

After the second repeat of the chant, he again said, _" Carin ni unà cuilë."_

And he began to chant again, as the ground beneath him started to glow. Then, it began to shake, and the glow around him brightened. Again, he stopped the chant and yelled, _" Carin ni unà cuilë."_

Nekura did not know what that sentence meant. He only knew enough Quenya to make out what he was chanting.

But the Elves knew.

One poised, and fired a single wooden arrow into Squall's chest, causing him to fall to the ground. Nekura immediately screamed and ran to his side. "No! This is the only one! Who killed him? Who did it?"

In his panic, Nekura did not see Squall's hand reach into his pocket and pull out a curved dagger. When he turned his back, Squall plunged it into his skull.

The sight was gruesome, but it had to be done.

******************************************************************************************

A/N: Okay, I know the story doesn't drag out the plot, but I don't like doing that anyway. It's not over yet, though!

And, so you know. Nekura is Japanese for 'evil natured'. 

I wrote the chant myself, but it isn't well translated. Sindarin is super hard to translate!

Here is a translation of Squall's chant: 

"Alas, my love, 

This is my burden to finish

May my life be cut short

May my years soon finish.

But may it not be

The world's death blamed on me.

For my love, I will state:

This man I will follow

I awake the ring,

The evil horror [of a] thing

Rise from your tomb,

You thing that makes doom!"

And, for those of you who do not know how to translate Quenya to English, Squall's request was "Make me deprived of life."

I am not able to speak the language. I'm not that big of a Lord of the Rings fan. I used a couple of translators that HUGE LotR fans made.

To Dagger1211: The translators I used can be located at the following URL's

English-to-Sindarin

English to Quenya:

Learn how to make the special letters here:


	12. Alive

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Time's Scars

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Chapter 11: Alive

They all seemed to freeze at the moment Squall's dagger pierced Nekura's skull. Any normal person would have died immediately, but not him. 

"You think you can destroy me?" Nekura cackled, "Even though this body will not survive, another one will. I will destroy all of you. Don't think this is over, not yet."

Squall looked surprised. Then, in anger, he pushed Nekura onto the ground, pulled the dagger out, and drove it back in. Finally, the body went limp.

Squall dropped the dagger and leaned back against a wall. Rinoa ran to his side, gently touching the arrow embedded in his chest. She wasn't alone. The young Elf they'd walked into town with had returned. He sat at Squall's side, along with a more elderly looking Elf.

"It's okay." The boy reassured her. "He won't die."

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "How do you know that?"

The elderly Elf smiled, "Don't you know? Elves can only be killed with fire or steel. This wooden arrow won't hurt him much."

"Oh."

Quistis and the others also moved closer to him. "Aren't you going to take him to a hospital?"

The younger Elf looked at her, "Yes. Not one of yours. We'll take him back to Balamb, and treat him at our own facility. We don't think you humans know how to treat him."

Zell shook his head, "Who are you people anyway?"

"I am Legolas. This is our elder, one of the leaders, Veryatur."

Irvine looked at him in surprise. "Legolas? Like the Elf from the legend?"

He smiled, "Yes. I am not actually him, but I am related. My last name is also Greenwood."

"Whatever happened to the real Legolas?" Asked Selphie. "I thought you guys were immortal."

"No, not anymore. We were immortal. Now, we are able to choose. But those who choose to be immortals cannot live among your kind. They must live where the magic still remains. Without the magic of the Earth, we are not immortal. None of us are certain what happened to the real Legolas, but I think he is still out there, living hidden among the immortals."

The elder Elf put a hand on Legolas' shoulder. "We must go."

Rinoa looked back at Squall, then up at Veryatur. "Can I come? Please."

He smiled, "The connection between you two is strong. I think we can bring you along as well."

"Nice meeting you." Legolas said to them.

Then, just as suddenly as they'd seemed to appear, the Elves vanished, taking Rinoa with them.

******************************************************************************************

"Feeling better?" Rinoa asked him.

Squall smiled up at her. Back in the hidden Elf refuge in Balamb, he'd been treated with Elf magic. There was not even a trace of the arrow that had pierced his chest.

"Much. But I know I feel better because you're here."

******************************************************************************************

Cid looked up at them. "Just vanished, huh? Well, I'm glad the ring was not revived. But I doubt we are out of the woods yet. We have learned more about the Galbadian leader, Nekura. It appears that he is simply using bodies. When the body dies, he takes over a new one. So, we will soon face him again."

As Cid explained this to them, Nida came running onto the bridge. "S…sir." He gasped, "We…have…a…serious…problem."

Cid and the others followed Nida to the main operating station for the flight controls. Nida fussed with the communication radio, bringing up Balamb's town leader. 

"Tell us what you saw." Cid spoke.

The man on the other line took a breath, then replied, "Orcs. They're headed right for Garden. Looks like the Uruk-hai. They are armed."

"How many?"

He sighed, "Too many to count. Tens of thousands of them. They should be there very soon."


	13. Miracle

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Time's Scars

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Chapter 12: Miracle

Cid shook his head in disbelief. He knew how strong Orcs were, especially Uruk-Hai. Even with all SeeD troops dispatched, there was no chance.

Still, he didn't know how many Orcs there were.

Nida came running into Cid's office. "Sir, all SeeD troops are in position."

Cid nodded, "Thank you, Nida."

"I brought the binoculars. We can only see the Orcs on the horizon. Would you like to take a closer look?"

Cid took the binoculars from Nida, putting them up to his eyes.

He was the first to see the horror they faced.

In shock, Cid stumbled back. He had to support himself by leaning against a bar on the main pilot deck. In his surprise, he almost dropped the binoculars.

Nida's eyes went wide. "Sir? What did you see? Is it that bad?"

"It's worse. Look."

Nida carefully looked through the binoculars to see the same sight Cid had. Balamb's mayor had not been exaggerating. The amount of Orcs was uncountable. They seemed to go on forever. 

He put the binoculars down slowly. "We don't have a chance!"

"No, we don't. We need a miracle."

Suddenly, a familiar voice from behind them spoke. "Well, I guess you lucked out, then. A miracle you have."

Cid and Nida turned around to see Squall. Only now, Squall looked much more Elvish. His clothing was traditional Elf clothing. His hair was longer, and his ears were not covered. On his back hung a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"What? How…"

Squall smiled, "Elf magic can do a lot. I changed my looks, didn't I?"

"Wow." Said Nida.

Squall's smile turned serious again, "Let's get back to business. When we heard about the Orcs, we knew Garden would be utterly destroyed if you weakling humans tried to fight. So, we decided to help, despite past problems."

Cid regained his composure quickly. "Why would you help us after all we've done?"

"Humans and Elves once fought side-by-side. For thousands upon thousands of years, we helped each other. That all ended after the first sorceress war, when a few humans got greedy. Still, being a peaceful people, we feel we should help. Even after all you humans have done, we have decided to give you a chance. Besides, Nekura isn't gone, not even close. If we sit back, he'll use these troops to destroy the entire planet."

Nida looked confused. "Where is Nekura? I thought you all killed him."

"Hardly. He isn't so easy to destroy. Like Ultemicia, he can take over bodies. He uses these bodies as a host to his spirit until the body expires and he must find another."

"Only Sorceresses can do that!" Cid exclaimed.

Squall nodded, "And Sorcerers."

"Sorcerers?" Nida asked, "There aren't any!"

"Or so you think. A wizard once tried this attack. It was thousands of years ago, and his attack was thwarted. But even though his body may have died, his spirit did not. A powerful spell keeps him alive, and allows him to take over bodies as he pleases."

Cid swallowed hard. "Saruman?"

"Yes."

Nida put his hands up and shook his head, "Wait, wait. Are you telling me that Nekura is Saruman in another form?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you."

Cid's eyes widened in shock. But, as unbelievable as it seemed, the story made sense. Saruman was a powerful wizard. He could easily have done something like this.

Squall waited a moment for them to take it in, and continued. "Look, that can be discussed later. We don't have much time."

Cid nodded, "Right. So, what are you all going to do?"

"Will you allow us to help you?"

"Of course. Squall, I'm putting you back in charge. Your heritage doesn't matter anymore. You are a fantastic commander, and this Garden's only hope."

Squall smiled, "Thank you, sir. But I want you to promise me one thing."

"What is that?"

"You humans will never again be hostile towards us. We need to be united if this is going to work. We Elves never planned on overthrowing you. If you are hostile again, we will retaliate, and it will not be a good thing for you."

Cid sighed, "Of course. Okay. I'll try my best to keep that promise."

******************************************************************************************

It was an amazing sight. Thousands of Elves lined up along the mountain passages that surrounded Garden. All were well trained warriors. However, because of cultural beliefs, only male Elves were fighting.

Squall stood near the center of the lineup, up a bit higher than the rest. The oldest mortal Elf stood next to him, prepared to give advice. Squall had never seen a real Elf battle before, so commanding an army of Elves was a daunting task. But he could do it, everyone knew that.

The only female among the Elves was Rinoa. She stood on the other side of Squall.

And the Orcs were very visible now. They approached Garden, prepared to mercilessly destroy it.

A/N: Yay! I finished another chapter! Sorry for the delay. I've been working on another unrelated story, and school has made it more difficult to find free time. I will finish this story, I promise! And, hopefully, there won't be such time gaps between updates.

Special thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. I really appreciate it. Reviews are one of the best things about writing fanfics. Please drop your comments by. I do read every review and take it into consideration! But no flames. Flames will be ignored entirely. Constructive criticism is welcome, but not insults.

Thankies! Have a good day! 


	14. Fighting for Life

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Time's Scars

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Chapter Thirteen: Fighting for Life

The army of Orcs drew closer and closer. Even with the help of the Elves, Cid was afraid that they stood no chance. If they were right in their assumption, Saruman would be back soon. No doubt he was leading the army at that moment. The wizard would not just go away. To kill him, they had to kill his spirit. But how would they go about doing that?

Squall stood in the center of the lines or Elf archers, Rinoa at his side. All the Elves were awaiting orders from him. 

Cid was surprised that Squall was not starting the battle. The Orcs were getting very close now. Was he crazy? Elves could shoot from far away. Why weren't they?

Squall's voice interrupted his worries. He was shouting orders.

"_A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas!" _(Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none!)

"_Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc." _(Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arm.)

__

"Va leithia lin pilindi." (Do not fire your arrows.)

Cid looked at the young commander hopefully. He had no idea what was being said, but he knew Squall could handle an army. Squall was Garden's, perhaps even the world's, only hope. 

As the army of Orcs came to the main grounds of Garden, they stopped. An Orc war-horn sounded. 

__

"Hir lin dago!" (Find your kill!)

__

"Tangado a chadad!" (Prepare to fire!)

The Elves all raised their bows in unison, almost as though it had be choreographed.

Suddenly, the Orcs began to charge.

__

"Hado I philinn!" (Release arrows!)

As soon as those words came out of his mouth, thousands upon thousands of arrows were fired. It was like a rainstorm, with no safe places to hide. Still, the Orcs advanced. They shielded themselves with the wounded.

Squall turned to Rinoa. "Even this will not be enough. There are too many Orcs. Once they reach us, we'll be doomed. We must do something else."

"Like what?"

He took her hand. "Come with me."

Cid was surprised to see Squall guiding Rinoa further up the mountains. He was doing something that Cid had not expected, something that was not planned.

He brought her to a high point, but a clear area. He needed his voice to echo off the canyon walls. He needed all of their voices to.

He turned back to her and took both of her hands, "I need your energy."

"How can we do that?"

"Just relax."

A glow began in his hands, and spread up her arms and through her body. Just as soon as the glow started, it faded. It looked like the glow had been sucked in by Squall.

Indeed, it had.

Rinoa fell to the ground in utter exhaustion. She would be okay, but she was weaker now.

A wind picked up that Rinoa had not noticed before. Squall had his eyes closed and head bowed, in deep concentration. Was he casting a spell? But that was impossible, he'd had no chance to junction.

Rain began to fall. It was strange, because there had not been any clouds before. Now, the sky above them was dark and menacing.

She knew Elves were deeply in tune with nature. Perhaps Squall was able to summon a storm. But how could that help any? A storm would make it harder for Balamb's soldiers to fight.

The Elves firing stopped. They seemed to sense something.

Though his lips were not moving, Squall's voice could be heard throughout the canyon.

__

"Lùrëa fanyarë mì ilwë, (Dark clouds of the heavens)

Hlar elma quettar. (Hear our words)

Elmë maurë lin tuo! (We need your strength!)

"Dano lin ormë ana te (Show your wrath to them)

I orqui man nwalya lin nòrë, (The orcs who torment your land)

Man sangwa lin vanya nè, (Who poison your beautiful waters)

Ar tyar ossë ana lin lië (And bring terror to your people)

"Dano te lin aha, (Show them your rage)

Ar I nyèrë ho lin lië (and the sorrow from your people) 

Là yonta selma ntë vànë (no longer will they leave)

Lin tauri helda! (your forests stripped bare)"

As he spoke, the clouds became more and more menacing, as though they were angered by him. The rain began to pour harder, and bolts of lightening began to streak the sky. In the darkness, Rinoa could really see the glow of the Elves. 

'I always thought it was a myth!' she thought, 'They really do glow!'

She returned her gaze to Squall, whose eyes were now open. But his eyes were no longer the familiar dark blue she was used to seeing. Instead, they were a stormy gray, and seemed to shimmer. She knew he was probably unaware of his surroundings. All of his focus was on his communication with the planet itself. Elves always had an incredible ability to communicate with and control nature. It was as though nature was a spirit of the planet, and they could speak to it. Their very culture revolved around nature. 

But Rinoa also began to realize why Saruman had chosen Squall to help him revive the ring. It was clear from the reaction of the other Elves that what Squall was doing was certainly not normal, or at least not seen often. She remembered the elder Elf they'd talked to earlier. It sounded to her like Squall's bloodline possessed some sort of intense power. Perhaps Squall was able to lock in more strongly than the others in his connection. 

******************************************************************************************

Zell looked up from his position on the bridge of Garden. He could see Squall, and the battle. But he also noticed the connection between Squall and the weather change. It was something he'd never even imagined before. In just a few weeks, everything had changed. He wondered what would become of Squall and the Elves once this was all over. Would they really be accepted?

Suddenly, Irvine burst through the doors onto the bridge. He looked like he'd been moving quickly. Zell knew something was very wrong.

"Zell," Irvine gasped, "There's a human with them. It's…he's…"

"Take a breath, man." Zell replied. "Tell me what's going on. Who is it?"

Irvine took a deep breath before speaking again. "It's…Seifer."

A/N: And the plot thickens! Okay, I wanted to get this one done so I could write the next one. I'll try my best to have the next chapter posted by Sunday. Please drop me a review, I appreciate it!

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	15. Only a Shell

****

Time's Scars

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Chapter Fourteen: Only a Shell

"Say what?" Zell exclaimed.

"I know." Irvine replied. "I can't believe he allied with them."

Zell looked out the window to the battle and grabbed the binoculars so he could see better. Sure enough, Seifer was up on a pedestal near the end of the Orc troops, being carried. It was like he was a leader.

"This can't be, Irvine! Seifer might have done bad things, but I know he wouldn't do this!"

Irvine shook his head, "I don't know, Zell. Seifer is pretty shady."

******************************************************************************************

He felt the energy building strongly all around. His brown hair whipped around, swirled by the gusting wind. It was working, he'd done it. 

He watched in amazement as the sky lit up with a greenish lightening. He felt as though all the energy in him was being sucked into the sky. Watching the other Elves, he realized that was true. All of them had a brighter glow than usual. Some were already on their knees.

He, too, fell to his knees in exhaustion, as he watched the power of the storm he'd created.

The lightening was flashing faster now. It was almost too bright to watch. 

An energy wave was forming in the cloud above him. It was close to full. The wave would launch and destroy the Orcs. No army could stand against it.

He dragged himself over to Rinoa, who was also amazed at the sight. He put an arm around her and pushed her down, shielding her.

The burst of the wave sounded like an explosion. The energy surged across the battlefield, and every Orc in sight fell. They were all dead, and it only took a matter of seconds.

That was when Squall's sharp eyesight caught sight of another creature amongst them, a human. Seifer.

******************************************************************************************

Selphie stood by the infirmary, where Squall and Rinoa were being held. She sure was glad that they'd upgraded it. The facility was much better equipped to handle severe wounds than it had been before.

After the battle ended, she and Quistis had gone atop the mountain to see if Squall and Rinoa were okay. Squall had fallen unconscious, and Rinoa was very weak. In fact, every Elf on the battlefield was weakened to the point of exhaustion. Most had also passed out.

All of them were in the infirmary, recovering from the massive energy loss.

What Selphie was most concerned about was the human among the energy blast. Seifer lay in a nearby room. He was hurt, but alive. Dr. Kadowaki was not sure when he would awaken from his sleeplike state. It was similar to the one Rinoa had gone through when she was possessed by Adel. Maybe Seifer was possessed?

Dr. Kadowaki came out of the room, smiling. "You can see them now, Selphie. Both are awake and feeling much better."

Selphie rushed into the room. Rinoa was sitting in a more comfortable chair, while Squall was still confined to the bed. He was attached to multiple machines. 

She hugged Rinoa, and then walked to Squall's bedside. 

"That was some performance out there!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah." Squall mumbled.

She folded her arms, "How'd you do that? That was the most powerful spell I've ever seen! You killed ten-thousand Orcs in about five seconds!"

Rinoa got up and walked to Selphie's side. "I think he's still a little worn out."

"Hey, why were you so weak?"

"Well, Squall could not have done that on his own. It took more energy than he had. He borrowed some from me so he could do the spell." Rinoa replied.

"Wow. You guys never cease to amaze me."

"I'm flattered." Squall said sarcastically.

Rinoa lightly punched his arm. "Don't be a grouch, Squall."

She turned back to Selphie. "So, is Seifer awake yet?"

"No. He's out cold. But the doctor said he should wake up soon!"

"Good. Did anyone find out what he was doing with an army of Orcs?"

She shook her head. "We're all still guessing. He's in a state a lot like you were when you were possessed."

"Really? Hmm…I wonder why that is?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Squall said.

Rinoa looked at him. "Isn't what obvious?"

Squall sighed. "Seifer is in that state because he IS possessed. Otherwise, there is no way he would have survived. Saruman may be using his body."

Selphie's eyes widened. "But, why would he choose Seifer?"

"Why not? Seifer has been possessed in a way before, maybe he's more susceptible to it now. And Saruman also knows that we all have some sort of emotional tie to Seifer."

"Why does that part matter?" Rinoa asked.

"Well, we're less likely to kill him, aren't we?"


	16. Infected Soul

****

Time's Scars

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Chapter Fifteen: Infected Soul

Once Squall had recovered from his state of exhaustion, he went into the room where Seifer was being held. He needed to know, was Seifer possessed? If so, how could he try to help?

Seifer and Squall had always been rivals, but Squall still felt pity for Seifer. After all, he was a person. Knowing that the man inside was not Seifer, but simply was using him as a vessel, made Squall angry. Sure, Seifer had done bad things in the past, but he still had a future. Maybe he could make up for his misdeeds. 

It was surprising to Squall how much he really did care about his so-called 'rival'. He no longer felt anger towards him. All he could feel was pity and compassion. Maybe it was part of being an Elf. After all, they were peaceful, caring people. But why had he never felt it before? Was it simply because he was out in the open about his identity?

He arrived in the room and quietly closed the door behind him. Seifer lay on the bed, motionless, with a few slight burns on his hands and face. Squall walked slowly to his side. 

Cautiously, he reached out a hand and touched a finger to Seifer's forehead out of sheer curiosity. He just needed to know if Seifer was possessed. He felt it with Rinoa, maybe he could with Seifer.

He was very cold, like Rinoa had been. But before Squall was able to process that fact, he felt a powerful force hit him. He flew back against the wall and fell to the ground. 

******************************************************************************************

"Hey, he's waking up!"

"Welcome back, Squall."

His eyes fluttered open. Above him was a doctor, who was peering into his eyes. Selphie, Irvine, Zell, Quistis, and Rinoa were in the room.

Rinoa ran to him and hugged him. "Gosh, you scared me to death!"

"What? What the…what happened?" He asked.

"Well," said the doctor, "We found you on the floor in Seifer's room, unconscious. Do you remember why you lost consciousness?"

"I…I'm not sure. It was like I was thrown. Something…inside of Seifer did it."

Rinoa sighed, "Well, that's another problem. Seifer is gone."

"Gone?"

"Yeah." Said Selphie, "He just wasn't there. It was really weird. The window was open, so we think he escaped."

The doctor finished examining him and stood up straight. "Well, I see no reason to admit you to the hospital. You appear to be in good condition. Nothing abnormal is going on. You are free to go whenever you'd like."

The doctor left, and Squall got up. He didn't feel right. Immediately, he lost his balance and fell when he tried to stand.

"Woah, buddy!" Zell yelled, pulling Squall back up and setting him on the bed. "You're still a little worn out. The doctor told us you might be."

Rinoa looked at Irvine. "Go get him a wheelchair, okay?"

"Coming right up, mylady." Irvine grinned, turning and exiting the room.

"Will he be okay?" Selphie wondered.

"I hope so. Maybe a little rest will help. Let's get you back to your room for awhile, okay?" Rinoa replied.

Irvine brought in the wheelchair, and he and Zell put Squall into it.

Rinoa took the handles in the back. "I'll take it from here."

She wheeled him back to his room. Well, more like their room. She practically lived with him. Most of her clothing was there, and all of Angelo's toys were there as well. The only one who seemed annoyed by the dog's presence was Zulu, Squall's cat. Rinoa had been surprised at first to know Squall had any pets. Zell told her that he found it as a stray. He couldn't care for it and was going to take it to the pound, but Squall insisted on keeping the animal, and took it for himself.

"Home sweet home!" She sang when they arrived inside.

"Yeah, right."

"Want anything to eat?"

He shook his head, "Not really. I don't feel too great right now."

"Really?" She asked. 

She came over to him and put a hand to his forehead. "What's bothering you?"

He sighed, "I don't know. I just feel…strange."

"Well, how about you sit in a more comfortable chair, okay?"

Squall's room as a Commander was much larger than the normal SeeD dorms. He had a living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and two bedrooms. The place was furnished. It was a little dull, but still had a cozy element to it.

She wheeled him to a chair in the living room area. She went to help him out of it, but he quickly batted her away. 

"I can do it." He growled.

He managed to push himself up with his arms and barely made it into the chair as his body collapsed from under him.

A/N: Short, sorry! I have been working on school stuff like crazy. Lots of big projects due and tests coming up. I'll try to have another chappy out next weekend. Drop me a review, and maybe it'll be sooner!


	17. A Prison For The Mind

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Sixteen: A prison for the mind_

Rinoa watched quietly as his chest rose and fell in his sleep.  Once again, they were in the infirmary, a place she'd hoped they wouldn't need to return to.

Shortly after he'd collapsed, a response team answered her panicked call.  Doctors were stunned.  They had no idea why this was happening.  His tests had all come out normal an hour ago.  Why was he sick now?

Dr. Kadowaki came into the room, a clipboard in her hand.  Rinoa at first became hopeful, but she knew the expression on the doctor's face was grim.

"Did you find anything?" She asked.

"Well, I think we need to do an MRI and an EEG.  His brain activity is off.  We don't know why.  All we know is that it is affecting his whole body.  Even being as strong a fighter as he is, I'm afraid he may not survive."

Rinoa's eyes welled with tears.  He had to survive!  "Why do you think that?"

"Well, his body is producing abnormal antibodies.  The brain has somehow ordered his immune system to attack his organs.  There is no explanation.  But, if we can't get it under control soon, he won't make it.  We'll have to put him on artificial life support in a few hours.  We're going to take him for the tests, so you might want to wait somewhere else.  Go get some sleep.  You look exhausted."

Rinoa shook her head, "No.  I'm not leaving until he's awake and okay.  I'll be in the waiting room outside."

*********************************************************************************************

Quistis grumbled in frustration and threw the papers she was reading.  She was trying desperately to find out if this condition Squall was in had ever hit anyone before.  And, more importantly, if it was connected to Saruman.  But she had nothing.  No clues, no leads, nothing.  

If they didn't help Squall within the next few days, he'd die.  She saw his tests.  His immune system was attacking his organs at an astonishing rate.  It was extremely aggressive, and doctors had no clue why.  Not even immunosuppressants could slow the relentless attack.

*********************************************************************************************

"_I know you hear me, boy.  You're aware now._"

"Who are you?  What do you want from me?" He screamed back.

"_Oh, such a feisty one.  I think you know me very well.  After all, you were the one I chose to help me obtain the precious ring._"

"Saruman!  You bastard!  Leave me alone, get out of my mind!"

"_Cry all you want, you can't get rid of me.  Squall, we can make this so easy, so painless.  Just cooperate with me._"

"Never.  I won't cooperate, not with you."

"_Alright, maybe more convincing will change that.  Your body is dying, Squall.  Slowly, and she has to watch it all._"

Suddenly, Squall could see his surroundings.  Rinoa was there, her head on his chest.  She was weeping and kept whispering, "Don't leave me."

"_Look how she cries over you.  You can end her pain.  She's suffering, and it's all your fault._"

"You're a liar.  I won't help you fulfill your sick little fantasy."

"_Oh, you will.  Whether you want to or not does not matter.  You have no choice.  I tried to make it easy, young Elf.  Now, I will have to do this the hard way._"

"I'm not scared."

"_You will be."_

He wanted so badly to console her, to comfort her.  He wanted to make it better, but he could not move.

Suddenly, Rinoa was flung into the wall by an unseen force.  She tried to scream, but it was clear that her air supply was being cut off.  It was one of Saruman's minions.

"No!  Don't hurt her!  Let her go!"

"_I will, when you surrender yourself._"

"I can't!"

"_Then she dies.  You must choose, Squall.  The fate of the world, or the fate of the person who is your whole world?_"

"No!  I don't believe you!"

She was growing weaker now, and began to stop struggling.

"No!"

"_You have the power to save her._"

*********************************************************************************************

Rinoa came back into the room Squall was being kept in.  The test had shown abnormal brain activity, similar to hers when she was possessed.  However, he was more aware.

He seemed to be seeing something.  His hands clenched and he had broken out into a sweat.  It was like he was fighting something.

The doctors had strapped him down, afraid he might hurt himself.  But he still struggled.

She sat down and took his hands. 

"Squall," she whispered, "don't listen to him.  Saruman is a liar.  Whatever he's showing you is an illusion.  Fight!  You have to, for the sake of the world."

He had no response to her reassuring words.

A/N: Okay, got another one out.  I'm liking the twist this is taking.  I hope you all like it.  Please review!  I'll update sooner!  Pretty, pretty please!


	18. My Mind

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Seventeen: My Mind_

Rinoa sat firmly by his bedside, holding his hand as he struggled with the internal torment Saruman was causing him.  She was actually surprised he had lasted this long, that he had not broken under the stress.  But she knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.  She wanted to help, but she was not able to, at least, not from here.  She talked to him, hoping he could hear, but she knew the words were not getting through.  He needed her to come inside of him.  She could only do that through Ellone.

She'd contacted Ellone a few days before, telling her about the situation and asking her to visit.  She'd agreed and was scheduled to arrive in town sometime that day.  If Rinoa could get into Squall's mind, she could at least help him a little.  

"It's okay." She whispered into the sleeping teen's ear.  "Ellone will be here soon.  We'll help you.  Just hang on, please."

She gently ran her fingers through his mahogany-colored hair.  She'd always loved doing that.  He was truly beautiful.  His looks could stun a goddess.  Every girl he passed could not help but stare.

Even in his beautiful perfection, he was far from being perfect.  Squall had his fair share of problems.  It had taken a lot of effort on her part to gain his trust.  He was so fragile, and she had to be incredibly gentle with him.  If he shattered, nobody would be able to put him back together.

Though he'd gained a lot of strength the past months they'd been together, he still had weaknesses, like anyone else.  He was too stubborn to admit them.  The way he sometimes struggled in his sleep worried her.  She knew he was still plagued with nightmares from the horrendous abuse he'd suffered in the past.  After he'd escaped his burning home, he was captured by a group of humans.  He refused to tell her any details about what they'd done to him, and she was almost glad for that.  But she did want to help him.  He needed to let the pain out, and to admit that he never would be perfect.

If he survived…no, he would survive, she knew.  They'd get married.  Maybe have a family.  But the latter was an uncertain topic, especially with Squall being an Elf.  Was childbearing even possible between humans and Elves?  She figured it was, but what would their children be like?  What kind of future would they face?  Not only would they be half-Elves, but they would also be the children of a sorceress.  

Everything was so uncertain.  But, as long as they were together, everything would work out.  

"Miss Heartilly?" A voice broke her thoughts.  "They're ready for you."

She turned and smiled at the doctor.  "Thanks, I'll be right out."

Before leaving, however, she turned to him and kissed his forehead gently.

"Hold on, Squall." She whispered.

**********************************************************************************************

"You think you can do that for me?" Asked Rinoa.

Ellone sighed, shaking her head.  "I'm not sure.  I mean, I can make people see the past, but I've never sent anyone into someone's mind before."

Cid looked at Edea, who stood nearby.  "Dear, why don't you make your suggestion?"

Edea smiled.  "Well, Rinoa, you and Squall have a very powerful connection.  You are a sorceress, he is your knight.  It may be possible to send you into his conscious mind.  I agree, it is probably the only thing that will help him.  I think we should take Squall to Esthar and talk to Doctor Odine."

**********************************************************************************************

"I see…" Pondered Dr. Odine, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.  "I suppose it iz pozible to do."

Rinoa sighed, internally annoyed with the strange man.  "Could we use Junction Machine Ellone?  Ultimecia used it, and she obviously was able to go into people's minds."

"That makes sense." Added Ellone, who stood nearby.  She was at Squall's bedside, where he'd been moved to in Esthar.  "Could you do that?"

Odine paced for a moment, then stopped and looked up.  "It iz very dangerous.  Vatever happens in hiz mind vill be very real.  If you get caught up in it, you might never return."

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Rinoa replied.

A/N: Sorry, it's been awhile.  School complicates things, as you know.  But I am still alive and so is this story.  It's a short chapter, but better than nothing, huh?  Plus, I need to think about the plot a bit more before I continue.

Please do leave me a review.  If I don't get them, I assume nobody is interested in the story.


	19. Into the Abyss

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Eighteen: Into the Abyss_

Rinoa lay on a metal table, side-by-side with Squall.  Ellone also lay on a metal table nearby.  Her power would help strengthen the connections between the minds of Squall and Rinoa.

"Are you sure?" Odine asked her.

"I'm sure."

And then, she saw brilliant colors flashing before her.  It was like going through some kind of tunnel.  She could see the end of it, Squall's mind.  It was black and unwelcoming.

She took a deep breath, and allowed herself to fall into the whirlwind, and into his mind.

She landed hard in a meadow.  The force of the impact knocked the wind out of her.  After regaining her strength, she rose to her feet, surveying the landscape around her.

It was not a normal meadow.  A thick gray fog blanketed everything.  She couldn't see very far in front of her.  The air was heavy, bearing down on her shoulders and chest.  Breathing was difficult, but possible.  Though she was scared, she was determined.  Squall was in here.  She had to find him, he needed her.

"Squall?" She called out, hoping for an answer.  There was none.

Hesitantly, she took a few steps forward.  She did not know where she was headed, but she made sure to keep her mind and heart focused on finding him, like she had done in time compression.

As she slowly walked, she got the eerie feeling that someone, or something, was watching her.  She tried to look for it, but the dense fog limited her view.  "Hello?" She called out.

"Go away!" cried a young voice, hidden in the mist.

"Who are you?  Please, let me see you."

The fog in front of her parted, and a little boy came through.  He had brown hair, and deep blue eyes.  She knew right away that he was Squall, as a child.

"You have to leave here." The boy repeated.

"No.  I'm looking for someone.  Why do you want me to leave?"

"You're too late.  He's already in the wizard man's control.  We don't want you to get hurt.  You can't stay.  Please go."

She shook her head.  "I can still save him!  Who is 'we'?"

The boy sighed.  "I'm a part of him, a part of his personality.  There are a lot of us.  We're all looking for him.  But the wizard is too strong for us.  We tried to fight him."

"Listen to me.  If you show me where he is, I can save him.  Please, I need your help."

"I told you already.  It's too late."

"No, it isn't.  What is your name?  Please, I need your help.  Don't give up."

The child folded his arms, "I'm Squall's strength.  I used to be big.  Now, I'm a child.  I've fought as hard as I can.  This meadow…it used to be so nice. Full of flowers and birds.  I loved it.  Now, it's so bleak.  That's how it was before you came here, too.  I guess I can help you some.  You can lift the fog."

She smiled, "Okay, now we're talking.  Where is he?"

"There's a tower to the north.  He's held captive in there.  But Saruman is guarding him."


	20. Save Me

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Nineteen: Save Me_

A large stone castle loomed ahead, so large that it seemed to consume the entire horizon.  Rinoa immediately felt the evil seeping off the building, and she knew Saruman was in there.  She had to get to Squall.  Soon, he would break, and it would be too late for everyone.  If Saruman was to take Squall's mind, the world would fall to him.

The brunette boy stopped abruptly before reaching the open castle gates.

"I'm sorry, but you have to go in alone.  I can no longer accompany you."

Rinoa immediately felt panic, how could she go in there alone? "But…why?  What if I get lost?  What if I get attacked?"

He looked up at her. "Saruman has already defeated me, so I would be no help anyway.  I can't go in because I am defeated.  You will know where he is. If you really love him like you say you do, he will lead you to him.  Remember, this is only a dream world.  Trust in yourself, and in Squall, and no enemy will touch you in there.  His love for you will protect you.  But, once you reach Saruman, your goal is not to defeat him.  Your goal is to get Squall out of there.  If you do that, Saruman will have to leave.  Once Squall's strength is restored, with your strength in him also, Saruman knows he stands no chance.  Now go.  There is not much time."

With that, he was gone.  He simply vanished into thin air.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.  'Okay, I can do this.  I just have to trust.'

She took a few hesitant steps forward, then forced herself to quicken the pace.  She did not have time to focus on being afraid.

She was surprised at how easy it was to get inside.  She'd expected Saruman to have set something up.  Then again, it was Squall's mind.  Maybe he opened it up for her.

The air inside was heavy, and she felt a heavy weight on her chest every time she breathed in.  But she felt something else.  It felt like something was pulling her.  She focused solely on it, and she knew it had to be Squall.  She could feel his fear.

The walk was long.  Her footsteps sounded loud in the incredible silence.  Rinoa knew it couldn't be this easy.  Either Squall was putting up a hell of a fight, or Saruman was trying to catch her off guard.  She suspected the latter.

And she was right to.  Soon after thinking that, she became aware of something she probably would not have noticed before.  The ground ahead of her looked different somehow.  She didn't know why she knew, but she did.  It had to be a trap, and she could not walk over it.  There was no telling what was there.  But where could she go?  She had no idea how to navigate this place.

She had a feeling, out of nowhere, to turn and walk right.  She followed that feeling.  Squall was guiding her, trying to reach out to her with the last of his strength.  He needed her.  She was his only hope.

She continued to follow this newfound intuition, and was guided around various traps in a complex maze of stone walls.  With each step, and each warning of a trap, she felt stronger.  She really could do this.  

Rinoa put all of her focus onto Squall, hoping that he could somehow hear her.  She wanted him to know that she was coming. But she could only pray that he did.

**********************************************************************************************

Quistis sat quietly next to the unconscious Squall.  Everyone else was there as well.  They wanted to give their friends support through this.  Quistis knew it could not be easy in there.  She could see the fear on Rinoa's face, even though she was asleep.

Ellone was jolted out of her sleeplike state, and sat up quickly.

Dr. Odine rushed over to her, a look of fear in his eyes.  "Vat happened?"

She shook her head, "I don't know.  I set the connection up, and I know she was in there.  It was like I was forced out by something.  Saruman is definitely in there.  I could feel it."

"Zen, how could zey still be connected?"

"I don't know.  Maybe they forged a connection of their own."

Selphie looked at her.  "Do you think you can get back in?"

"No.  Whatever was in there didn't want me around.  I hope they're okay."

**********************************************************************************************

At the end of another long hallway, Rinoa spotted a large door.  She smiled, knowing that Squall was behind it.  She could now feel him strongly inside of her.  

She grabbed the door handle and pulled it with all her might.  It would not budge, no matter how hard she tried.

She fell to her knees, tears coming into her eyes.  She had come all this way, only to be kept out by a door.

She looked up at the ceiling.  "Squall, if you can hear me, I need you.  I can't open this by myself.  I am not giving up on you.  Please, help me.  I need you so bad right now."

She felt no response.  Maybe he couldn't hear her.

Then, a warm, tingly feeling spread down her arms.  It felt like someone was touching her, but nobody was there.  She got up, took another deep breath, and pulled the door handle again.  This time, it came open.

The feeling quickly stopped, and she moved into the room ahead of her.

It was dark, and she felt cobwebs all around her.  She'd always hated spiders, and she figured that Saruman probably knew that.  She didn't care, it didn't matter.  All that mattered was Squall.  She pushed through the webs, determined to find him. She knew he was in this room.

Though she could barely see, she was able to make out an object in the far corner of the room.  It had bars. A cage?

She ran to it, grasping the bars tightly.  Inside, she could see a figure, laying on the ground.  She used magic to unlock the cage, and she stepped inside, crouching down by the person.  She touched his hair, and knew it was Squall.

Rinoa gently turned him over, trying to get a good look at his face.  From what she could see and feel, he was close to death.  She could feel his ribs sticking out underneath his shirt.  Luckily, he still had a pulse.

She laid her head on his chest. "Hey, it's me.  Wake up."

He groaned, but said nothing.

"Squall, I know you are weak and hurting.  But you have to try, please.  We have so much ahead of us.  The world needs you, and I need you.  Please don't quit on me now, not after I've come all this way.  Be strong."

"I…I can't." He rasped.

"Yes, you can!  Squall, please.  I want to have you in my future.  I want to have a family with you.  I want to grow old with you.  I want to spend every waking moment of my life with you.  Please.  If you give up, Squall, I will die.  You're a part of me.  Without you, I can't live."

"I've…failed…you.  I…I'm sorry."

"No!  Dammit, Squall, fight!  Don't let Saruman have what he wants.  I know you are stronger than this!  I know you have fought, and I need you to fight again.  Whatever it takes, do NOT give up on me!  Squall, you are my knight.  You promised me!  A sorceress cannot live without her knight.  You promised you would fight for me, and that you would never leave me.  Don't break that promise, Squall.  You are my whole world, do you know that?  Do you realize how important you are?  So many people care about you, Squall.  You know that.  Whatever Saruman has told you is a lie.  You can't believe him.  He only wants to hurt you.  Do you want to die like this?  The entire planet depends on your fighting.  Do you want to die on the floor of a dusty little cell?  Do you?  Or do you want to die with dignity, knowing that you did all you could?  Please, Squall, I love you.  I love you so much.  Don't break my heart.  You are strong.  Now fight!"

He opened his eyes and looked up at her.  Gently, he brought a hand up to touch her cheek.  His hand was freezing, and she could feel the bones in it.

"One..last…time.  For you.  I…I'll fight…for you."

A/N: Sorry about taking forever and a day to update.  Life has really been insane.  I promise this story will live on.  I'm not giving up on it.  I will try to update again sooner.  Please leave me a review.  I love them!


	21. Fatherhood

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Twenty:  Fatherhood_

Quistis paced impatiently back and forth through the office.  She was back at Garden, while Squall was still comatose.  Of course, this was the exact wrong time for Squall's leadership to be absent.  She was summoned because of a dire situation in Garden.

They'd been infiltrated.  Spies from Galbadia were very much present as students.  This was only discovered recently, and it had to be taken care of in a quiet manner.  If they alerted the spies, it would cause severe consequences.

_Why is Galbadia trying to gain power again?  We defeated them.  Are they trying to figure out a different way to destroy us?  Is Squall's condition related to this?  They know we are weak without him…_

But she could only wonder.  Her questions still had no answers, and she'd been thrown in to take over for Squall very unexpectedly.  Sure, she could lead, but for the whole Garden?  She knew Squall was much better at this than she was.  If she failed, anything that came afterwards would be her fault.  She'd be responsible for every death.

And there was also a good possibility of Squall being unable to take a leadership role when he was back in good health.  Now that the secret about his true identity was out, there was a risk that students would not listen to him.  Even though prejudice was frowned upon and the story of the Elf extinction exposed for the filthy thing it was, many people still shunned Elves.

Garden needed Squall, not her.  

**********************************************************************************************

"That's it, Squall.  Now get up." Rinoa whispered.

He weakly grasped a bar, and brought his frail body into a standing position.  Now that Rinoa could see him, she realized how close they'd really been to losing him. She was shocked that he was even able to stand.

"We have to get out of here, and quietly." She said, taking his hand into hers.

_Please let this work._

**********************************************************************************************

Laguna watched Squall and Rinoa's sleeping bodies.  He could tell there was a struggle, and he could only hope they were winning.  He'd believed for a long time that Squall was his son, and the truth about his identity made his whole world cave in upon him.  Did he have a son out there, not knowing who his father was?

"No, no!  You cannot be here!" Yelled Doctor Odine.

Laguna stood up, only to watch helplessly as Odine was thrown across the room like a ragdoll.  

A group of four soldiers stepped into the room, armed and ready to fight.  Their uniforms were Galbadian.

"Move it, old man." Commanded one of them.

"No.  I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to be in here."

"Really?" Smirked another soldier, "You think we didn't figure that out?  Jeez, why did they put a moron like you in charge?"

The young man came and tried to push Laguna aside, but it did not work.  Laguna grabbed him by the back of the neck and landed a punch right-on into his face.  The other three boys immediately advanced on him.  

He had to act fast, or Squall and Rinoa's lives would be on the line.

But the soldiers were not expecting him to be so agile and swift.  His fighting lessons had served well.  Surprisingly, the soldiers were not too well trained in hand-to-hand combat.  

After only a few minutes, all of them were on the ground, unconscious.

Laguna quickly ran to the beds that Rinoa and Squall lay upon.  Since Ellone and the others had left, he needed to come up with something on his own.  One thing was certain, he could not keep them here.  The Galbadians would surely try again, and he may not survive an attack by skilled soldiers.

He grabbed one of the wheelable gurneys and moved it to them.  He disconnected both of them from all monitors and other equipment, and dragged Squall onto the gurney.  He placed Rinoa on top of Squall.  Though it was more than awkward looking, it was the fastest way for him to get them to safety.

Suddenly, biological fatherhood did not matter.  Squall was still a son to him.  And, like a good father, he would protect his son, even if it cost him his life.

A/N:  Sorry, I know it is short.  Plus, this update is beyond overdue.  School's been rough.  I'm trying to update when I can.  But, I WILL finish this story!

I want to say a HUGE thanks to all my readers/reviewers.  I love the input I get from you.  Thank you for reading, and for taking the time to give me some feedback!  It makes a great difference to me!


	22. Tension

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Twenty One:  Tension_

Rinoa held his hand, and he followed as she snuck them both back out of the room.  So far, Saruman had not shown himself.  They were lucky.  Now all she had to do was get him out, and then get back to the real world.

"Just hang on." She whispered.

"I'm trying." Squall rasped.  "Please don't walk so fast."

She slowed a bit, allowing him to rest a little.  "I'm sorry, we just need to get out of here."

"How?"

"We'll have to find a way."

Once they were back on their way, Rinoa followed the trail out of the castle.  They were going to get out.  

But a shadow made her freeze in her tracks.

"Thought you could get out so easily, did you?" Asked Saruman.

She pushed the device Laguna had given her.  It was supposed to immediately get them out.  Even with Squall's strength not fully restored, it'd be better than staying to die.

But it would not work.  

"Oh no." Rinoa whispered in horror.

"You're trapped.  Now both of you belong to me." Saruman said.

"Bite me, you old deranged son of a bitch." Squall growled.

"Ooh, we have a bit of an attitude, huh?"

"Shut up!" Rinoa yelled.

Saruman lifted a hand and made a few motions while he mumbled an ancient spell.  Rinoa's eyes widened as the beasts appeared in response.  There were ten of them, clawed and growling, waiting to kill.

"Destroy them." Saruman ordered.

**********************************************************************************************

Laguna was at full speed in the Ragnarok, headed towards Trabia.  There, he could land on one of the small islands and hook Squall and Rinoa back up.  He could only pray they were alright.

He looked back at them, laid on seats and buckled in.  Both were still motionless.  He hoped that meant they were okay.

**********************************************************************************************

"What do you mean they're gone?" Quistis cried.

Zell shook his head, "Galbadia got in.  The guards said all three of them are missing."

She slammed a fist onto the desk, "Galbadia has them!  We're screwed!"

"What can we do?"

"Nothing if they're being held hostage."

"No.  We have to do something!" Zell insisted.

"Guys?" Selphie asked, sticking her head into the room.

"What?" Quistis yelled.

"Umm…Ragnarok is gone from Esthar's docking bay."


	23. Showdown

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Twenty-Two: Showdown_

"Galbadia Garden will be arriving in our area soon. On it are an unknown number of Galbadian soldiers.  Though SeeD operations in Galbadia have been discontinued, the Galbadians have still used the Garden for training.  I have heard it is now outfitted with weaponry." Cid spoke.

The situation did not look good.  Balamb still had small numbers of SeeDs inside.  

Quistis felt dread.  This was in her hands.  If she screwed up, it could mean the end of the world.  She had so many innocent lives in her hands.

"Without Ragnarok, how are we supposed to fight back?" Zell asked.

The whole gang, with the exception of Squall and Rinoa, was in Cid's office.

"I don't know.  We don't even know where Squall IS." Cid replied.

Selphie felt it first, the buzzing, the sleepiness, the slight headache.  She was the first to collapse to the floor, along with Irvine, Zell, and Quistis.

Cid folded his arms, "Great timing, Ellone."

**********************************************************************************************

"What the?" Selphie said, as she and the others found themselves in a foggy meadow.  In front of them was a large castle, and it looked less than inviting.  Ellone was standing by the door.

"What is this about?" Asked Quistis.

Ellone approached them.  "It's Squall.  He's in big trouble, and so is Rinoa.  They need our help, or both are going to die.  If Squall's soul dies, Saruman will use him to conquer the world.  We have to help."

"Where are we headed?" Zell asked.

Ellone motioned for them to follow as she pushed one of the big doors open.  They all stepped into a dark corridor.  It was very similar to Ultimecia's castle, which sent a chill down Selphie's spine.

**********************************************************************************************

Rinoa grabbed Squall's arm tightly, in fear.  The group of beasts approached slowly, menacingly.  They were salivating heavily, and growling.  She knew Squall was far too weak to use any kind of Elf magic.  

There was nowhere to run.  They were trapped.  They were going to die.

One of the beasts growled as it lashed out and struck Squall in the face, knocking him to the ground.  Rinoa could see the bloody claw marks on his cheek.  In an instant, she was on the ground as well.  Though her face hurt terribly from the wounds, she managed to pull herself over to Squall.  She put an arm on him, and he weakly wrapped one around her.

"I'm…I'm so sorry." Rinoa choked as tears slid down her face.

"It's okay.  At least…I'll die with you." 

He held her as she buried her face into his shoulder, blocking her view of their coming doom.  She could feel his tears.

"It's my fault.  You're going to die." Squall whispered.  "You are here because of me."

"Stop, Squall.  You would have done the same.  At least we die together."

Squall cried out a bit as one of the beasts bit into his shoulder.  The teeth penetrated deeply, and he felt them hit his bone.

He inhaled deeply, anticipating another bite.

This was it.

Suddenly, an unexpected gunshot pierced the air.  One of the creatures howled in pain and collapsed.  Squall looked up.

Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, and Ellone were standing on the other side of the hall.

"Don't you dare touch my friends, you ugly freaks!" Yelled Selphie, "Or I'll blow ya up with a rocket launcher!"

They pulled out their weapons and attacked the group of beasts.  Squall took advantage of the opportunity.  The beasts were focusing on fighting back, and were not paying attention to them.  He used the last of his strength to push himself and Rinoa over against a wall, out of the way. Rinoa looked up at the others, then noticed the bite on Squall's shoulder.

He winced as she gently touched it.

"You're hurt."

"It'll be okay." Squall insisted.

Quistis hit limit break, and launched an attack of blue magic on the monsters.  Irvine cast Curaga on her, which brought her back out of limit break.

"Anyone got an Aura?" Zell asked as he punched one of the beasts in the snout.

"Nope." Irvine replied as he dodged a claw flying in his direction.  "I guess we just fight!"

One of the beasts turned around, losing focus of the battle.  He looked at Squall and Rinoa hungrily, then quickly moved towards them.  It was the one who had bitten Squall.  It had blood and chunks of his skin on its teeth.

"No!" Yelled Rinoa, "Help!"

Zell ran to the beast and jumped on its back.  He then proceeded to grab it by the throat and hold.  It lashed around, and he looked like a bull-rider.  Finally, after a few minutes, the beast stopped and collapsed, having run out of strength.

"Take that!" Cried Selphie, hitting her nunchucks into the face of another beast.  

After what seemed to Squall like hours of fighting, the creatures all lay on the floor around them, dead.  Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Quistis, and Ellone quickly rushed to the injured couple.  Irvine cast Curaga on Squall's shoulder, but it had no effect.

"What?" Irvine wondered.

"I see that was too easy for you." Boomed a voice.  It was Saruman.  "How about something tougher?"

"Quit trying to save yourself with tricks." Squall taunted.  

Saruman stepped closer.  "Shut your mouth, you little Elf."

"How about you shut YOURS?" Selphie shouted.

"Show some respect, you filthy little rat!" Yelled Saruman as he waved his arm, sending Selphie flying into a wall.  She bounced off it like a ragdoll, and lay on the floor, unmoving.

Irvine ran to her side in an instant.  She was unconscious, and he stroked her hand gently.  "Selphie…"

"Get out of here, you guys." Squall said.  "You too, Rinoa.  I don't want you all to die because of me."

Rinoa grabbed him by the sides of his head and forced him to look at her.  "Stop it, Squall.  We aren't leaving your side.  If you die, the whole world dies.  You have to have some hope!"

He closed his eyes and sighed, but said nothing in reply.  He knew she was right.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Zell asked.  "Let's kill him!"

Irvine casted Curaga on Selphie, which, to his surprise, worked.  She got back onto her feet unsteadily, but managed to regain her balance.

Rinoa stayed at Squall's side, knowing she needed to protect him.

Squall watched his friends prepare to fight one of their toughest battles without him.  He wanted to do something, anything, but could not.  His weakened body refused to respond.  All he could do was hope.  If his friends failed, he knew that the world would be doomed.

**********************************************************************************************

A/N: Hey, I know it's been awhile, and I'm sorry.  I would have made this a longer chapter, but I am really not feeling well.  I have a cold from Hades.  Finally, I'm on Christmas break, so at least I can spend the next few days getting better.  I will not be sick on Christmas!  I'm trying to wrap up this story and Tears of Blood soon, hopefully over Christmas Break.  I have some ideas for stories that are really good, so I want to write them.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a box of Kleenex and some Robitussin.  


	24. Unleashed

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Twenty-Three:  Unleashed_

Rinoa looked on, watching her friends be defeated by Saruman, who was laughing maniacally.  She had to help.  But how?

"Squall." She whispered.

He kissed her forehead.  "You can do something.  Use your powers."

Her eyes widened, "But Squall, I don't know how."

"Yes you do.  Search inside yourself.  Unleash the anger at Saruman.  You can do it." He coaxed.

"What if I hurt them?" She worried.

"If you do nothing, they'll be killed anyway." He pointed out.

She sighed.  Sitting up, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate.  Squall took her hand, helping her.

It didn't take long for her to find the core of her energy.  In it was the most powerful magic known.  She pushed hard and harnessed the power.

"That's it." Squall whispered.

She stood up, and her angel wings sprouted.  She looked down at Squall, worried.

"You can do it." He encouraged.

She nodded.  

"Hey Saruman!" She yelled.

He turned to her.  "Oh, nice bluff, little sorceress.  You have no idea how to use those powers."

Squall grabbed her hand.  "I can help you."

"Please." She replied.

"Junction me." He commanded.

"What?"

He looked at her.  "You heard me. You're a sorceress, and I'm your knight.  You can junction me like a GF.  But I can aid you internally."

She concentrated, like she would if junctioning a GF.  She felt his presence slip into her body.  It was a feeling she'd never had before.  Though she could feel Squall's weakness, she could also feel his power.  She looked down to where he'd been sitting and realized that he was no longer there.  He was a part of her.

**********************************************************************************************

Laguna landed the Ragnarok in an isolated part of Centra.  He picked up the teens, one at a time, and hooked them up to the equipment.  He hooked the equipment to the ship's engines, and it hummed back to life.  Ragnarok could not fly now, but at least they'd be safe.

The machines were going haywire.  On Squall's body, there was nothing.  No pulse, nothing.  But on Rinoa's, there seemed to be two pulses.  And her brain activity levels skyrocketed, while Squall's ceased.

He panicked and examined Squall.  To his surprise, the brunette was breathing, and it felt like he had a pulse.

"How?" Laguna wondered out loud.

Then he realized it.  Squall was now Rinoa's GF.

**********************************************************************************************

Cid was horrified as he watched wounds appear on the bodies of the four sleeping teens.  Selphie seemed to be suffering the worst of them all.  Huge gashes opened all over her.  He rushed to call the infirmary.

Saruman was weakening them.  At this rate, Garden would fall.

**********************************************************************************************

Rinoa and Squall grappled the incredible power that existed between the two of them.  By combining his power with hers, her spells were now more than twice as potent.

_Show me, Squall.  You know how to do this better than I do.  _Rinoa thought to him.

He guided her, and showed her how to bring the power to surface.  

_Open your eyes.  Look at Saruman._ He commanded.

She did so.  Saruman smirked at her, and she felt her blood boil.

_Good!  Get angry! He's violated us both, and he's violated our friends.  Look at how badly they are hurt!  _Squall provoked.

Rinoa looked at her friends, scattered on the floor.  They were alive, but she was horrified at their wounds.

_Now what?  _She asked.

_Put your hands out at him.  Let the power build up.  I'll help.  Focus on the power.  _He replied.

She did just that.

"Pathetic." Saruman cackled.  "Do you think this little show is scary?  You and that blasted Elf are powerless.  You cannot beat me!"

_Don't listen to him!  _Squall yelled.

She felt her hands become warm, and was amazed when they began to glow.

_Look at him now.  Push that out at him.  Pretend you are unleashing punches at him.  You'll unleash the power instead.  Yell, scream!  Whatever you need to do!  _Squall said.

She looked at Saruman.  "You're DONE hurting people.  Die, you bastard!"

She felt a release.  Saruman's eyes widened in horror as the bright ball of light struck him full force and sent him careening into a wall nearby.  He fell to the ground.

"I…underestimated…you." He gasped.

_Do it again!  _Squall yelled.

She again focused on the anger, and let the power build.  

Saruman's eyes widened again.  "No, child.  You'll be a murderer.  If you stop, I will let you all go.  You can help me rule the world."

"No." Rinoa growled as she let the blast of power escape from her body.

Saruman's eyes closed.  Squall unjunctioned from her.  With her last bit of strength, she cast a powerful cure spell on all of them, the sat on the ground, exhausted.  Squall moved to her and wrapped his arms around her.  Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, and Ellone sat up groggily.

"What the heck?" Zell asked.

Squall smiled as he looked at Saruman's lifeless body.  "It's over, you guys.  He's dead."


	25. Solutions

**Time's Scars**

_Chapter Twenty-Four: Solutions_

Irvine saluted Cid as he finished reporting the events of the past day.  Both Squall and Rinoa were back in Garden, as well as the rest of the Orphanage Gang.

Cid nodded in approval, then asked, "Would you mind fetching Squall for me?"

"Not at all, sir.  I'll go get him." Irvine replied, rushing out of the room.

Cid sighed and rubbed his forehead.  Everything had been so crazy lately.  He hoped it would all go back to normal now.

Squall walked in a few minutes later and obediently saluted, then relaxed and sat down.  "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, I thought I'd update you on what happened while you were out."

Squall nodded.

Cid stood up, "Well, the war with Galbadia is over.  When Saruman died, I guess they came to their senses. The president of Deling City issued a formal apology to Garden.  He said that he only vaguely remembered what he'd done.  I'm certain it was a control spell now.  Anyway, that's cleared up."

"And…?" Squall prompted.

"We found Seifer.  He's in the infirmary now.  Dr. Kadowaki said he would be just fine.  Now, I'd like you to give me an update.  What are you planning to do from here?"

Squall sighed, "Well, I don't think I'm staying here.  I want to live in peace, without all the media attention I know I'll get.  Of course, I'll return in the event of an emergency.  Otherwise, I want to just settle down and have a normal life…or at least as normal of a life I can have."

Cid smiled, "I understand, son.  It will be different here without you, but I think you'd be happier.  No anger or anything.  I'm glad you finally are showing characteristics of a normal family man."

**********************************************************************************************

_Epilogue_

_He smiled and wrapped an arm around his wife, observing the beautiful land around them.  She looked up and leaned into him.  "It's so nice here.  I'm glad we did this."_

_Kissing her cheek, he replied, "Me too."_

_The young couple remained in one another's embrace for what seemed like an eternity.  Finally, he pulled away from her.  "Get inside, it's getting cold.  Remember, you've got two people to look out for now."_

_She smiled and put a hand on her large tummy, walking back into the home behind them._

_He stayed for a moment and watched as the sun sank below the horizon._

_"Family.  This is where I belong."_


End file.
